Finding my place
by Ur fan
Summary: Jack Frost is a guardian, has defeated Pitch and found a family. Will he be able to trust them? Tell them his past? How does Wind deal with having to share her best friend? Sounds quite intriguing doesn't it? Memories will be seen, crushes will be had, Jack will disappear and much more. Some tough moments, and (I hope)some touching ones. But mostly this will be... Fun
1. Prologue

**0)** **prologue**

Jack struggled to get up, but he couldn't.  
Whatever poison was snuck in Cupids teardrops prevented that. He could not possibly escape on his own.  
He heard how Jane whimpered in the corner of his cell. Well it's supposed to be a room, it had a nice bed and everything, all set for the lost son to come home at last. But he didn't want to be here and he wasn't going to be allowed out even if he did beat this poison somehow so no matter how nice it looked it still was a cell.  
Jane felt horrible. She hadn't meant for this to happen of course, she had tried everything to save him. But even if she had succeeded it would've still been her fault.  
She should've gone with her first instinct and kept Jack as far away from herself as possible. And now... Now she was stuck here with him, powerless to help.  
Jack wanted to comfort her, she didn't deserve this, but he needed all his energy to stay awake and keep breathing.  
"Safia" he thought, "I'm trying to hang on, but... I don't know if I'm strong enough." He didn't know if his oldest friend could hear him, in this moon forsaken liar and in his weekened state, but he hoped that in the verry least she would know to hurry.  
He felt the nightmare sand trying to push him to sleep, but he refused to even blink.  
If he closed his eyes and gave in to sleep the potion would turn him into a slave, he would not lose this battle. This was one unlike any battle he had ever faced thought. He wouldn't win by using his powers and/or wit. No this time he couldn't get out of trouble whit his usual strategy of trying to talk himself out of it or if that were to fail to just blast his way trough the obstacle. No, this was a battle that required him to stay still and stay in perfect control of himself. Every drop of energy had to be spend with the utmost care. He had to be patient and wait for help to come. This thought made him smile and gave him a real boost.  
He had help on the way. There were people who cared about him and had his back. It wasn't hopeless he wasn't alone in this.  
The guardians could be here any moment. He would not lose his faith in them. Safia would reach them faster than anything else and they would come for him as he would come for them. Maybe even with extra back up. Who knows.  
Jack smile brightened. They would come.

 **Okay so the stuff that didn't fit in my sumary but has to be said.  
Um warnings: Well later in the story a couple of chapters with abduction of course.  
No character will die (I hate it when that happens)  
No torture, but there will be some serious fighting ****and some emotionally heavy moments that come with a dear one being abducted or memories being shown.  
Like I said there will be crushes but as for now there will be no pairings if that changes you'll see.  
** **Maybe a little bit of possesiveness and there might be some harsh words said here and there.  
** **If you like this story but don't want to deal with certain aspects of it or want to be emotionally prepared:  
** **I'll ad a (toothless) above the chapter content as long as our friend is held captive,  
** **an (nevile longbottom) when there is man to man fighting  
** **an (elsa) when there is psychological strugle.  
** **and (0_0) -that's meant to be Baymax, if there are moments I think to be really sad.  
** **Why do I give my warnings in the form of other movie personages? Because I like to be different.  
Anything I forget? Oh of course this will SPOIL the movie if you haven't seen it yet but if you haven't and don't want to be spoiled why do you read fanfic about it? Don't know but let's play safe okay?  
So I had spoiler allert, warnings, a small guide trough my chapter lables. That's it right?  
So en- *portal opens and Jack Frost comes out, lands neatly and gives me 'that smirk'*  
** **Me: Oh? Hey Jack. What are you doing here?  
** **Jack: *chuckles* You're forgetting something.  
** **Me: *confused* I do? *thinking really hard about what it could be, but honestly I can't figure it out for the life of me so I give him a pupy dog look*** **Help me out?  
** **Jack: *chuckles shaking his head incredulously* You'll get sued if you don't remember  
** **Me: OMG That's rigth! Thank you for saving my ass. So Jack here *puls Jack close in a one arm hug*  
** **Jack: What? Hey!  
** **Me: Isn't my idea. I do not own him or the other guardians, or their stories or pitch black. Any plotline or character that sounds familiar is not mine. I don't own anything except my oc's and the plot. Dreamworks made the movie this storie is based of so they own them. And anything else canon is owned by that William Joice dude and his 'guardians of childhood' stories. So if anything else sounds familiar that's fanom and that isn't owned by everyone.**


	2. 1)reflecting

**Okay so I repeat:  
(toothless)=friend held captive,  
(nevile longbottom)= man to man fighting  
(elsa)= psychological strugle.  
** **and (0_0) -that's meant to be Baymax=moments I think to be really sad.  
North comes from littraly no where and taps my back: Jack said you almost forgot last time.  
Me *wants to roll my eyes but don't cause you know, that man makes the naughty list*:  
I wasn't done yet. But thanks anyway.** **  
** ***North chuckles and gestures me to go on.*  
** **Me: So North *gesture dramatically to North*** **Isn't my idea. I do not own him or the other guardians, or their stories or pitch black. Any plotline or character that sounds familiar is not mine. I don't own anything except my oc's and the plot. Dreamworks made the movie this storie is based on so they own them.  
And anything else canon is owned by that William Joice dude and his 'guardians of childhood' stories.  
So if anything else sounds familiar that's fanom and that isn't owned by anyone.**

 **Warnings for this chapter: none... hm. Okay so from now on if there is nothing to worry about so to speak I'll ad a (minion) they are pretty harmless. 'So cute I'm gonna die' kind of harmless in fact.**

 **1)reflecting**

Jack had been to the Christmas-ball before. And to tooth's Dance, Sandy's festival and Bunny's picnic when it had been their turn to organize the nox lumen.  
It was the guardians privilege to organize the feast that was all about the hard work the good spirits had done over the year as well as it brought tribute to the center of the guardian who was in charge of hosting the festivities.  
The others had offered Jack to take his turn this year, but he insisted that he first wanted to look from the sideline one more time so he could see what he had to do.  
As I said, Jack had been to every single one of the past 300 editions, but he usually only stayed one hour.  
Just long enough to be counted as present and assumed to have had fun.  
Alright it might have been less than an hour whenever it was Bunny's turn. More like ten minutes. He always had felt less welcome on the picnic than on the other parties. Spring and Summer spirits didn't seem to like him too much (Aurora, Sandra, Inna and Flora being the only exceptions he knew of) and ever since '68 he had tried to avoid running into Bunny, altogether, though he'd never want him to know that.  
He wouldn't come at all if he could, but it was considered obligatory to show up, all spirits came.  
It would be insulting to the host if he didn't show up. So in his mind coming at all to a celebration where he felt out of place, underdressed and (especially in Bunny's case) unwanted, was a sign of respect towards them. Respect they had only very recently started to return.  
He hadn't held it against them of course. For all they knew he was annoying Jack Frost.  
And they couldn't help if they didn't see him standing alone and insecure on the side. He tried to be unnoticed and there were so many other guests, he understood they didn't have time to worry about one or two loners.  
Anyway, this year he had no choice but to break all the rules he had made up for himself in such public situation.  
He was expected, no, obligated to stay the whole night and mingle. North may be the host but none of the guardians had even attempted to deny who would be the center of attention that night.  
Funny huh? The very thing he had longed for during the past three centuries he was also desperately trying to avoid.  
He really wasn't looking forward to this. He had never even dreamed of allowing other spirits to notice him so much in this type of gathering. He had been rejected once to many times with no witnesses, thank moon for small mercies, he wasn't going to put himself in such a vulnerable position when surrounded by every spirit in existence.  
Or that had been the plan before he took the oath.  
He had kept to himself in some corner, danced one or two times with wind -just cause he was a social pariah didn't mean he had to make her a wall flower- took a small snack from the buffet, and left before anyone -nice or naughty as North would say- could approach him.  
You may think that this behavior would ban him from ever having any type of social life, but the light-feast wasn't the only spirit party during the year. Every spirit was more or less assumed to be invited to that one.  
But there were also parties that were a bit more exclusive. And if someone invited Jack to one of these, he felt like they actually wanted him to be there and had less problems with loosening up.

* * *

The first time this had happened was on the summer solstice of his first year.  
Jack had been about six months old and had yet to encounter anyone who would communicate with him other than Wind. Oh yeah, not long after he discovered that people walked through him, he also discovered that the wind was a being with feelings and thoughts, not just a force of nature. And as you may have guessed he also found that Wind was a 'she'. Wind was shy and never showed her human form to anyone, it took her a 100 years before she showed herself to Jack.  
When he felt so alone and abandoned that first day, he had felt her embrace. They understood each other, both alone and unseen, except by each other.  
When he first noticed Old Man Winter, he had assumed him to be an ordinary man looking at the snow in the wind, as it was a curious thing to see in the middle of summer. When the man spoke to him he had been ecstatic, only to be disappointed when he was told that he wasn't released from his invisibility, but he comforted himself with the knowledge that there were many more who were like him and who could see him.  
He had wanted to welcome the man with open arms but he didn't, because if he were friendly why would he leave Jack Frost alone for so long? It didn't help that old man winter insulted Wind.  
But after a while the man had convinced him to come along to this party Jack was invited to.  
It had been awful to leave Wind behind, even if he knew that for her no time would've passed between their separation and their reunion. But he did it and when he arrived he didn't know what to think.  
Part of him regretted going. Mother nature was way too eager to 'adopt' him and treated him as if he were a newborn. Which he probably was from her point of vieuw, but he was physically and (in some ways) mentally 14 years old and thus didn't like being treated as thought he was completely helpless and clueless to the world.  
So he made his opinion clear by pushing her away. Not in a mean way. Just enough to let her know that he needed space. This was not the type of mother he wanted or needed. To make that clear he had kept calling her Lady Nature.  
He wanted a family, but that didn't mean he had to let himself be adopted and babied by the first one to offer.  
He just didn't feel it with that woman.  
The monarchs were a bit intimidating, but nice enough. And the seasons children, as Old man winter had called them, were lots of fun.  
He spent the whole party talking with them, making them laugh by pranking the 'adults' and danced with them.  
It had been nice, but Jack hadn't felt like he was with family, not with complete strangers either. More like friends. He just couldn't connect with them enough to call them his siblings. And he wasn't about to hurt himself by pretending he could.

* * *

That night he also heard that they were to meet for the nox lumen two weeks later.  
They gave him the location he had to be and Jack assumed that 'all spirits invited' meant that Wind could come too.  
He had entered the room with the honest intention to have as much fun as during the solicit, but when he arrived…  
he just couldn't do it. Why, you may ask?  
Well, there they were, the guardians, powerful, confident and believed in. They were legends, and he felt incredibly inadequate. He had hid on a balcony watching and listening to the festifities, after an hour he heard North welcome old man winter, who asked if Jack had arrived jet. North had said 'You mean pale boy with staff? Dah hour ago, haven't seen him since. Perhaps bit shy. If you find him, I vant to meet." Jack had panicked. He didn't want to meet this man.  
Or he did, but he was afraid he would mess up. He couldn't mess up in front of all these spirits.  
'Oy, ya talking bout the new winter spirit?' Oh, no. He had heard about the Eastern bunny from Flora. What if he was mad at Jack because he had been in Burges during Eastern? He had to leave now.  
Before he left, he met Sandra's saddened gaze. Seeing the happy, careless Jack Frost like this, like a caged animal, shying away from the crowd, trembling in a corner, it broke her heart.  
She and the other seasons children had looked forward to seeing Jack again. They expected him to shake the party up. He should be out there, loosening up stiff snobs, inviting wallflowers for a dance or put some spunk in a boring speech.  
They had tried to get him to talk about it during the winter solicit, but he had avoided the subject all together, starting a snowfall and proclaiming a free for all snow fight… Mother nature giving Aurora the summer monarch a mouth full of snow? Priceless!

* * *

Oh, well that's in the past now. He had been busy this year and had to excuse himself from any other parties.  
It wouldn't be the first time. I mean he had skipped winter solicit a couple of times because he couldn't make it to the check in point in time. And sometimes he skipped summer because he really didn't feel like partying. But what would they think when they heard what happened last Eastern?  
What if the few friends he had, thought he felt too good for them now he was a guardian? He hoped not.  
The only non-guardian spirit he had seen since the battle with Pitch (apart from Wind of course) was Bedtime.  
Also not the first time, it could easely happen that you don't run into a certain friend for decades.  
She didn't seem to accuse him of anything and that was only 2 days ago. So maybe Jack was worried about nothing.  
Dear moon, two days and Jacks whole life had changed.

* * *

Bedtime had invited him to join her when she his story was told to the children. She had started in Burges, it seemed fitting, since it was where his story started.  
It was the first day of winter, Bedtime had humans around the world who were in tune with her and 'remembered' a story when she opened 'the book'.  
That had been a hectic day. He had listened to bedtimes 'protégé' in Burges as she told his story after which he made it snow and started a snowball fight. After that he raced to the other places where his story was being told and did what he could to give the kids snow that was perfect for winter fun. And when he left there would always be a couple of children who'd say "Jack Frost!" , "Look that's him!" , "Thank you Jack!" and "Come back soon!"  
It felt great. Sometimes he made some frost animals like the bunny he had made for Jamie.  
The look in their eyes... the number of his believers was growing slowly but steady.  
He soon started to feel the effects of his believers. He got stronger than ever before. Wind could carry him faster and his magic drawings lasted longer, became bigger. Just to name a few effects.  
He could also no longer just breeze through a town, have some laughs and be on his way to the next. Children saw him and therefore he felt he had to spend a bit more time with them than he used to. He had always tried to play with the kids in the town Old Man Winter wanted him to visit. But now there was actual conversation, due to which he spend a bit more time in every village. (Again 2 days but it felt like a lifetime)  
It wasn't easy saying goodbye to these kids. And it was also hard not to fall back to his old habit of constantly returning to Burges to spend extra time with Jamie and his friends. He still wanted to try to play with them at least once a weak this winter. He felt a connection to the boy and his family. Always had. Now he had a better understanding of the why.  
How would Jamie react if he heard that he was a descendant of Jacks sister?

* * *

Okay, back to the upcoming party, now only a week away. The Christmas dance wasn't on Christmas as North was busy that day. It was on the 29th of December. That way North had time to recover from Christmas, clean up his 'hideout', as Jack called it, and prepare the ballroom for the guests.  
Jack had no idea what to expect this party. Would his friends act as if nothing had changed, or would they keep distance, like Jack had kept distance from the guardians until now? Well if they did, Jack would just have to approach them.  
Everything would be alright. He let out a sigh. Suddenly Wind nudged him.  
"Sorry, got lost in thought…" he assured her. "Well, I believe we are done with the snowfall that was due today. And I still have plenty time before I would go to North… What do you think? See how fast we get to Burges?"  
Wind twirled around him in delight. Burges was on the other side of the world, that meant she could really go all out, oh crossing the ocean with Jack was always fun. And Jamie loved to watch Jack fly. That meant that Jack always played with Wind when he was with Jamie. They got to Burges in no time at all.  
"Jack!" Kids yelled from everywhere as Jack landed near his lake.  
"Hey you all. It's almost like you are waiting for me." Jack chuckles but then he yells as he gets buried under the mass of children. Wind giggles softly.  
"Ow, watch out. I know I'm immortal but that's no reason to squish me!" He laughs. The children release him.  
"Jack, how is it going? Are you gaining more believers now?" Cupcake asked.  
"Your story was so cool! I've been thinking about it non-stop!" Jamie jumped with excitement.  
Bedtime had edited Jacks story a bit, by example she left out the drowning part because she understood that Jack didn't want that out in the open, at least not until he had told the guardians himself.  
"Slow down champion! I'm doing good Cupcake, thanks, believers are coming along nicely. I recently hit 200. I'm glad you like my story. But I'm not here for a chat." His voice became serious. Jamie and his friends shared woried glances.  
"Is Bunny okay?" Sophie asked. Jack knelt down, looking her in the eyes.  
"Oh, bunny isn't the one in danger Soph… YOU ARE!" at that he threw her over his shoulder and flew up. Sophie cried out in happy surprise. And Jack laughed doing his best villain imitation.  
"I have the fairy princes! No one can stop me now!" He proclaimed to the surprised kids below.  
"We will free you Sophie!" Jamie yelled catching on to the game. Jack made a fort where he put Sophie down.  
"Ha and how do you think you'll do that?" He laughed as he went up in the air again. At that moment a snowball flew right at him, but Jack who had 300 years experience with snowball fights, avoided it effortlessly after which he launched an air attack at the kids. They played for hours and when the kids finally freed Sophie -who had been cheering them on the entire time- Jack excused himself. He really had to go now.  
He should've left an hour ago, and he had known it, but he didn't want to stop in the middle of a game.  
Especially not when Wind was enjoying herself so much. She had been way to tense recently.  
Hopefully North would understand that he had been busy 'bringing joy to children'.


	3. 2) meet my friend the wind

**Okay one last time:  
(toothless)=friend is held captive,  
(nevile longbottom)= man to man fighting  
(elsa)= psychological strugle.  
** **(0_0) -that's meant to be Baymax=moments I think to be really sad.  
and (Minion)= no warning**

 **Bunny apeares: Oy mate...  
** **Me rolls my eyes: I know! I wansn't done yet. Thanks anyway.  
** **Bunny stomps his foot impatiently.  
** **Me: So most of the cast in this story i** **sn't mine. I do not own the guardians, Pitch or their background stories. I don't own anything except my oc's and the plot. Dreamworks made the movie this storie is based on so they own that. And anything else canon is owned by that William Joice dude and his 'guardians of childhood' stories. So if anything else sounds familiar that's not in either of those versions of the story then that's probably fanom and that isn't owned by anyone.**

 **(elsa)**

 **2)meet my friend wind  
** "Wind?" Jack called her from his spot in a snow-bench.  
Wind, curious about his insecure tone, joined him, offering him comfort in her embrace.  
She didn't like it when her friend was upset. She preferred his laugh and excitement.  
"I… was wondering if you would mind meeting my friends?" Wind didn't respond immediately.  
She knew this would happen sooner or later, she was surprised that it took him this long to be honest. But she still wished he wouldn't ask. She had never shown herself, her true self to anyone except for Jack. She didn't like the idea of being stared at. A defense mechanism if you will. But Jack, Jack was special. And he made her feel special because no one had seen his true self either.  
The real Jack was for her and her alone. Others got a mask, a small part of him which he expanded until it became a person he pretended to be to protect himself. His happy side or on occasion his angry/naughty side (she didn't like that one at all and as a consequence she disliked anyone who provoked it).  
No one saw his fears, dreams, likes and dislikes, his pride and regret, his selflessness and sacrifice like she did. To others he was either a bratty troublemaker or a kind prankster.  
But then the moon revealed his true destiny and the guardians- cocky, judgmental, snooping guardians- had the arrogance to pretend like they were his family.  
In Winds eyes none off them had deserved that right. Sandy, maybe had a chance. But the others…  
No they would hurt him again she was sure of it. But her sweet boy, who longed for a family the past 300 years had been eager to forgive them, offering his heart wide open for them to take.  
Well not wide open. He had been almost completely alone for three hundred years and guarding himself to some extent was like second nature, it would take time for him to open up fully, to believe that it was okay to do so. But he wanted to open up to them, trusted them way too much to Winds liking.  
The things he didn't tell them about himself, he didn't keep hidden out of distrust but because he didn't want them to hurt. He didn't want them to feel bad for him because he died or because the things he went through over the years. If he had his way he'd froget the past 300 years happened and tell them only about his mortal years when he felt ready. Wind wasn't insulted that he was so forgiving to them, or envious that he viewed them as family already.  
The bond she and Jack shared was different. It didn't allow that type of love.  
Wind might sometimes feel like she was, but she could never be a mother to him.  
And he needed that, he might have refused Mother Nature to fill in that spot, but she couldn't blame him. She was way to clingy and bossy, besides she would never be able to spend enough time with him to be the mother he needed.  
Wind would never be a sister to him either even if she sometimes thought he acted a little like a brother.  
That was just not how they were together.  
Best friend, closer than best friends or even lovers could ever hope to be. But never could she fill that void he had felt all these years. Mourning a family he didn't remember. Poor Jack…

* * *

She understood and had expected this question, and had known she wouldn't refuse.  
He asked because she was important to him and the guardians were too. He wanted to include her in this part of his life, like he had included her in every other aspect of his life. He had even told her about all his memories while he had hardly given a rough outline of his human life to the guardians when they asked. They had been smart enough not to push him to Winds honest surprise.  
Then again, Thootina was the guardian of memories so she might be aware that they were private things that one should not nose in when their owner wasn't comfortable with sharing them.  
She didn't like the idea of showing herself to the guardians. She didn't trust them…  
But she trusted Jack. With her life she trusted him. She was just so afraid.  
Jack of course had soon felt her fears. It was foolish to hope she could hide them from him, but she did any way.  
Jack had known that he could not say anything to erase her fear of him getting hurt. All he could say about the matter was that he hoped that she would see in time that the guardians really meant well.  
As for her other fear, he did anything within his power to ensure her that he wouldn't abandon her.  
Yes, it sounds selfish and silly, but she truly feared that he would be so busy being a guardian, bonding with his new family, gaining believers and playing with them that he would forget about her and leave her behind, alone again… unwanted and unloved.  
She couldn't give that up. Not after experiencing what it was like to have someone who is so…  
in tune with you… like a soulmate. Yeah that sounds right. They shared a soul.  
Jack did anything he could to show her that she still was his top priority. He had kept her existence a secret from his 'friends' to respect her privacy and her aversion, thought he tried to get her to warm up to them. He had also never stopped in the middle of a game if he was called, or expected somewhere. If whatever they were doing wasn't over he never asked her to just understand and carry him to his duties. He did everything he could to show her that nothing had to change between them. She should've known better, there was no way Jack could keep living his old life and add a new one without the two of them crashing. It had been selfish to hope he could.

* * *

Yesterday it had happened. His behavior had led to trouble between him and North.  
Jack had promised to help with the preparations for the Christmas dance. He had been late almost every time they had agreed to meet. North had been understanding about it, Wind had to give him that. Winter was a busy time for Jack after all, this time however he had felt the need to address it and had accidently hit a nerve.  
"Jack, this can't go on any longer. I get you busy. Me too. But when you make promise, is promise. You can't hide from responsibility forever." North hadn't meant it as a scolding. He was honestly worried about how Jack acted. -Wind didn't like admitting it but the Russian truly felt and acted like he was Jacks father- But Jack had taken it as one and felt cornered. Not by North, but by what his words made him feel. Jack hated disappointing people. And since no other spirit or human had really expected anything from him until recently he didn't know how to deal with it. Sure his sprites looked up to him but all he ever had to do to make them happy was show up and play. Easy enough. This was a lot harder and he felt like he was failing.  
So Jack automatically put on a mask and used offence as his best defense.  
"I'm not hiding! I know you never noticed me before but there are spirits who did. And I refuse to abandon those who cared the past three hundred years, simply because you guys suddenly felt I was worthy of your time!" he had turned away and Wind had been ready to help him to the window and get him to Alaska as fast as she could so he could kick up a snowstorm until he had calmed down. But then Jack froze. He had noticed the other guardians had arrived as well.  
North had asked them to come over because he was worried about Jacks behavior. Not that he would know what normal behavior was when it came to Jack. He still had a very one dimensional image of the Winter Prince. But it was clear that Jack was struggling. With what? Only Wind knew.  
North was a fool to think that Jack would open up simply because they all asked him nicely.  
Jack didn't work like that. He won't let you come closer. You have to be patient with him and let him come to you. And he will do that, once he feels that you won't ask for more than he gives you.  
He gives what he's willing to share and if you're patient he gives more than you'd expect.  
They didn't know him, so they were going to try to push him out of his comfort zone.  
That is how it came to be that E. Aster Bunnymund, Thootina and Sanderson Mansnoozie heard what Jack had told North in an attempt to push the man away from him. Wind knew Jack hadn't meant what he said and wanted to apologize more than anything. He'd never hurt someone on purpose.  
But as he looked at them the scene just became too much.  
Tooth was heartbroken, her eyes teary, hands clasped in front of her mouth trying to keep the sobs in. She was too shaken with guilt to keep flying.  
Sandy, calm, kind Sandy looked so helpless, as if he wanted to comfort Jack bud didn't know how. And Bunny, tuff nut, big-rude-mouthed-with-a-chocolate-heart Bunny was just standing like he suddenly got the weight of the world trusted upon his shoulders.  
Ears flat, arms down, an egg that must've been in his paw seconds ago on the ground, and his eyes- oh, Wind hadn't seen them like that since last eastern when that girl walked through him.  
She would feel just as bad about the situation as Jack did if she hadn't seen how they broke Jack that same Eastern Sunday. She only felt bad for Sandy. The other three… at the moment there was only one person she disliked more than them and that was Pitch. Oh when she saw him again…  
Jack looked away from the new arrivals to glance at North briefly. Trying to hide his tears.  
Somehow his defense was slipping and all his pain and guilt was just too much to hide any longer.  
For the first time since the guardian of wonder had met Jack he saw him as the fourteen year old boy he really was and at this realization North teared up as well.  
He reached out for their youngest, but Jack had flinched away, touching still felt weird to him  
and he didn't want it right now. Wind had picked him up and carried him away to Alaska, and that's where they were right now. Jack had stopped firing ice blast 12 hours ago, but the storm that had started when they arrived had only started to loose strength 3 hours ago and half an hour ago it had become completely still. Asking her his question was the first thing he had said since they left the pole.

* * *

Wind sighed and materialized. "If you believe that they are ready to meet me. Then I shall appear before them." Jack was not surprised by Winds appearance and voice. It didn't happen often but Jack knew when to expect it.  
"You don't have to show yourself if you don't want to. Just make them feel your presence. So they know that you are here. I know you don't like it when people know how your solid self looks like, or that you are a spirit to begin with." It was true, apart from the ancient ones -being the season monarchs, mother nature, father time, Night Light, man in the moon and regretfully pitch black as well- and of course her Winter Prince, there was no one who knew about the winds and their past.  
"I know you would not ask me that. But I prefer that if they are to know about me, they should see me. I shall ask my brothers and sister if they are alright with it first." She knew they wouldn't forbid her. They didn't have an attachment to someone like she had with Jack but they felt their bond and how it had saved the Southern wind's spirit from vanishing in her own element, and by extension he saved the others too. They would not stop her in any act she planned to do in response to this bond. Besides they liked Jack and they wanted the both of them happy.  
Her brothers loved to have fun with Jack when they crossed path with them.  
And her sister the northern wind was absolutely enamored by his gentleman-like behavior and his playfulness. She liked to annoy Wind by flirting with him and even more so by 'apologizing' to her when she scolded her sister, assuring her that she won't steal South's boyfriend.  
North knew it wasn't that way and that Mother Nature had already almost ruined them with her meddling on that subject. Jack had been convinced that he was leading Wind on without realizing it.  
He had created distance between them, luckily he soon realized how much this hurt Wind and as they talked about it they saw that their bond may seem too strong to others to be anything else than that of lovers but that was what outsiders saw. They knew each other's hearts, it was not possible for them to hide their true feelings from each other. So worrying about how things may seem was pointless, they knew how things were and that was all that mattered. That didn't stop Wind from worriedly observing Jacks reactions to her sisters teasing and Mother Natures 'friendly' suggestions.  
Wind opened her mind to her brothers and told them of her plan. They told her to do what felt right. Then she opened her mind to her sister. She asked her separate from her brothers because she knew that Northern Wind wouldn't be able to resist visiting. She didn't want an audience for that.  
"Oh! Finally I haven't heard from you two snowflakes in ages." And just like that her sister was here, uninvited, 'hugging' South's best friend. Northern Wind hadn't taken her solid form which was her way of respecting that Jack wasn't her friend but South's. She couldn't resist talking to him thought.  
"Hey there, Nora. How you doing?" Jack had given South and her siblings human names, because saying their given names quickly became exhausting.  
Nora, Ethan, Wes and for her Safia. Not a very common name but it meant 'pure and sincere friend'.  
Jack didn't always call her by that name. Only during their time together, when they were really alone. That means out of sight and hearing range of even the moon.  
"Wonderful! But not as well as you I hear. Gossip has it the guardians took in a new member and a little birdie told me that this member is a certain winter spirit. Got yourself a nice promotion huh?"  
Safia had had enough. "Ahum." Nora turned her attention to her sister understanding that playtime was over. 'Why is it that you have summoned me?' Nora used her mental voice when talking to her.  
'I wish to show my physical form to the guardians but I don't wish to do so without your consent.' Safia responded silently. Nora gave her the mental equivalent of a nod and embraced her sister after which she left. She had given her support and offered comfort knowing fully well how nervous she had been to show herself to Jack that first time and Jack was someone she trusted and cared for.  
Doing this for people she hardly knew… that was scary.  
Jack gave her a hug. After a moment he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. Green to blue.  
"Are you sure you are okay with this Safia? I'd understand if you don't want to do this." The use of her human name was meant to ensure her of his sincerity, and it worked, but it also made her more determined to make him happy.  
"I know this Jackson" she smiled softly. Jacks birth name felt pleasant to say. It somehow confirmed how close they were.  
"I want to do it. Even if only so I'll be able to voice my opinions to them." Jack nodded. Not considering for even one moment that she might say anything too hurtful. Wind felt flattered and a bit guilty about her plan. But not in such a way that Jack would notice. Jack knew her emotions very well, but his solid trust in her prevented him from realizing that she was up to something. He ignored his instincts and rationalized that she was nervous and that this was what he was getting from her.  
She dematerialized and took Jack up in the sky.

* * *

Hardly half a minute later they were outside Stanof Clausen, Safia dropped Jack at the window and took place next to him. He hesitated a second. Everyone was still there. Tooth was sitting by the fire pit looking at the flames dancing around, tears threatening to fall over. She hadn't stopped wondering about ways she could've prevented this, protected Jack more, since he left.  
Bunny was on the couch with North, it seemed like they were at a loss for words. North held his head in his hands, covering his eyes, unable to erase the look Jack gave him before he left.  
Bunny thought of every time he had spoken harsh words to the boy he now considered a brother. Sandy was pacing back and forth under the window. He was concerned. He had never seen Jack that upset. And he was at a loss how to help him. Dreams couldn't fix this type of heartache.  
He sighed and looked to the window Jack had disappeared from, expecting it to be empty, imagine his happy surprise when he saw the young runaway spirit.  
He was so relieved that Jack had come back, that they hadn't completely lost him, but then he looked more closely to find that the boy seemed to expect a scolding. Sandy smiled sadly and flew up to the windowframe. When he arrived in front of him Jack carefully returned the smile, not sure if he could hope that the others had forgiven him as quickly as Sandy seemed to have. Above Sandy's head figures appeared.  
A snowflake, a child with his hand in a box (probably meant to be a cookie-jar) and a cross.  
Sandy was saying Jack did nothing wrong. Jack, not wanting to alarm the others with the sound of his voice, signed to him –much to Sandy's surprise- that he made Tooth cry. That he had said things he shouldn't have said and didn't mean anyway. Sandy was impressed. Jack was the first spirit he had ever met who had taken the time to learn sign language. For a moment he thought about how fun it would be to have secret conversations with Jack in front of the others.  
Then he returned his attention to Jack and signed that he might not have meant it but it was still true.  
Safia really liked Sandy now. He was the nicest of the guardians and he had… well not died but temporarily ceased to exist while protecting Jack. She didn't mind it if Sandy posed as Jacks uncle.  
Jack wasn't convinced of Sandy's point but felt comforted by it.  
Safia felt Jacks was ready, so she helped him down and circled softly around him.  
Sandy descended as well and landed next to the couch North and Bunny sat in.  
"Hey," Jack said. He spoke softly but his voice still broke over that single word. He was scared that he had screwed up too hard this time.  
Tooth shot up at the sound of his voice. "Jack!" she exclaimed in relief and raced towards him only barely catching herself halting two feet away from him her arms still half stretched in the hug she had wanted to give him. 'To soon,' she thought to herself. 'We must make this right first.'  
Bunny and North looked up to Jack and then to each other. Bunny was the one who spoke up.  
"Listen… Jack" Both Safia and Jack were surprised. Bunny hardly ever called Jack by his name.  
They (Bunny and Jack) had taken to constantly calling each other by nicknames.  
"We know we weren't there for ya, and I especially was sort of… well honestly I was a total whacker."  
Safia smiled satisfied. Good, he realized his mistakes. Jack wanted to interrupt but Bunny held up a paw, stopping him.  
"And we get that ya don't trust us completely at the moment. We didn't deserve that jet and it was very arrogant of us to assume that you did. Especially with what happened on last Eastern…" Sandy's head perked up. Eastern? Of course no one noticed his curiosity.  
"We shouldn't have taken you for granted." Safia couldn't agree more.  
"But we do care about ya Frostbite. You showed us what we forgot. We forgot just how much we loved children, you showed us that it doesn't have to be all 'hard work and deadlines'."  
Bunny chuckled a bit at the memory. "We were living so above the world we didn't realize what was going on around us." Bunny couldn't speak anymore, too disgusted by himself.

* * *

Enough chit-chat, Safia decided. She gave Bunny a push.  
"Oy? What the… Frostbite, I'm trying to apologize what are you doing?" A small part of Jack really wanted to laugh, but the rest was stronger and didn't want Bunny to be mad at him again.  
"I'm not doing anything, it's Wind. She has a mind of her own. Wind please stop." But she didn't listen, or not as quick as she usually did. Instead she lifted the oversized bunny and dropped him with a thud before returning to Jacks side.  
"That wasn't very nice Wind." Jack said with a soft but disapproving voice. She normally would feel bad for upsetting him, but she knew he was mostly just nervous. Besides it was funny and he would admit it once they had left the pole.  
"Vat do you mean? Vind is not spirit… is it… eh, she?" North corrected himself when she blew a short blast at him for calling her an it. Jack smiled and she felt this moment was as good as any.  
Safia materialized on Jack's right but slightly more ahead so she was between him and the guardians. Their faces were amazing. Why doesn't Jack carry a camera around jet? He wished for it almost a year ago. He should've made work of it.  
She didn't show her amusement. Her human form was young, about Jacks age, thought there was no way to tell which came first, she never took a human form before she met him. She was slightly shorter than Jack, had long wild curling, unruly, blond hair a pale face with soft features and a delicate figure wrapped in a beautiful blue-almost-withe dress that floated in a breeze no one else could feel. That did not make her look less intimidating. Because her eyes, a vivid green in color, betrayed her years. No one could miss the many centuries, millennia even of life that laid behind those knowing eyes that looked straight through you. You cannot hide from the wind that was clear. Wind wasn't usually intimidating in her human form, but now she wanted to be.  
She looked at the guardians with her best 'I know more than you think I know' look.  
To confirm both her age and knowledge she spoke in a tone she usually only used when talking to her siblings and on occasion with the ancient ones.  
One that echoed in the whole room, soft as a whisper but also strong and powerful. Handy when you didn't want people to forget that you are not a mere child, to remind them to respect you.

* * *

"I am. You know me as the Southern Wind." She introduced herself looking each of them in the eye.  
"Sanderson." She greats the guardian of dreams with a nod.  
"You look well. I recall when you were born. You were such a happy baby." She sounded fond of the memory, which she was. She always loved it when she saw a newborn with greatness in his or her destiny. It was always easy to tell which people would accomplish great things for the winds. But they couldn't tell whether it would be as humans or as spirits or both. Tht more or less explained why she hadn't realized imediatly when she met Jack as a spirit that she had met him as a human as well. She had foolishly assumed that this special boy had lived out his life in greatness from the start to the end when she felt his light die. She didn't stop to think that the new light that appeared was the same person because no one (not MIM, not Mother Nature, not Father Time or Night light) had ever chosen a dying soul to become a spirit. She should've known that just because it wasn't done before didn't have to mean it couldn't be done. Either way it would've ended the same, MIM would still have forbade her to reviel Jacks identity and she still would've been forced to whatch him struggle and know the answers he so desperately needed yet unable to give these to him. Anyway back to the task at hand.  
The guardians held their breath. Sandy was the oldest of them all. He had lived in times before humans build houses. If this spirit had indeed seen that happen… just how old was she?  
Jack wanted to roll his eyes at his best friend. She and her dramatics. But he let her be. She did this for him after all. He wasn't going to tell her how to do it.  
Sandy looked torn. Not sure what to think about all this. Wind raised an eyebrow.  
"You doubt I speak the truth?" Then Wind said something in a language that was long dead, the language Sandy was raised with. The first language humans knew. Sandy stepped back in awe.  
"What… what was that?" Tooth was astounded.  
"I guess it's Sandy's native tongue. I think she said: 'It pains me that you doubt me. And that while I was inclined to like you.' " Jack offered. Tooth looked at Jack. "You understand that?"  
Jack shook his head. "I didn't understand a word she said, but I know what she meant to say."  
Tooth's eyes widened, Jack must have a strong bond with this spirit to understand her that well.  
Sandy couldn't get over the fact that the spirit in front of him just had spoken to him in the language of his parents. Wind smiled. They were impressed now? What would they say if they knew that the only spirit older then her and her siblings was nightlight? Maybe best not to push them too far.  
She suddenly recalled that she wasn't here to show off. She had business to attend.  
"Pooka!" she exclaimed angrily. Jack now felt her intentions and tried getting a hold of her but she dematerialized and then reappeared in front of the Bunny.  
"Wind please no!" But she already did it. She slapped the Bunny, in the face and hard.  
"That one is for '68." She did it again, this time his other cheek and with her fist instead of her palm. "That's for last year." She stomped on his foot. "and for everything in between." She said very calmly.  
"Jack Frost and I have been together since he woke up, I have always been by his side and I don't take kindly to those who make him- upset." She has almost said cry. She knew Jack didn't want anyone to know he cried. Wind was the only one who could know.  
"Ow, ya know for a wind spirit you're awfully solid. Thought I deserved it." Why did he have to be so accepting? Wind really wished he would protest so she had an excuse to keep yelling at him. Suddenly Bunny froze. He hadn't realized it before but they had been communicating in the secret language of the Pooka race. She had started and he had automatically responded in the language he thought to have forgotten. For a moment he was dragged away by memories of his long lost family sadly the happy ones were too quickly replaced by the awful end.  
He shuddered and regained his composure. Wind couldn't help but feel bad about putting him through that. She hadn't intended to bring him back to those times. She had seen the destruction, it still haunted her. As much as she disliked Bunny, she didn't want to inflict that type of pain on him.  
She left him alone, materialized in front of Toothina and started a rant in Chineese.  
"And you! I had faith in you! I believed you cared for him and would help me protect him against that rabbit! But the moment it got hard, when it counted you just abandoned him!"  
Tooth lowered her head, trying and failing not to cry. Sandy didn't understand what was going on. He didn't understand all of what was said but he did gather the gist. But what was Wind talking about? Did something happen between his demise and his rebirth last year? Why hadn't the others told him? He knew they had lost the battle to safe Eastern, and how Jack had saved Jamie Bennett's faith in the guardians but the details were unknown to him. Did this have to do with what bunny said about Eastern earlier? Hm, this would mean his friends deliberately kept him in the dark.  
Jack was torn. He had been understanding so far but it was hard to watch his best friend lash out at the people he pretty much considered family. Didn't she see what position she put him in?  
She really didn't. She was finally letting all her frustration go. Not just her anger at the guardians, but the moon, any spirit who had ever been mean to Jack. She was tired of it. It felt good to finally be able to stand up for him.  
And yes she was perhaps harder on the guardians then they deserved but she was beyond caring.  
She turned to North. But before she could go in a rant about how he had fooled her with his 'center' speech and had actually gained her respect and that she didn't believe how he just gave up on him, what a coward he was to look away when Jack's wonder died away from his eyes. He should've at least faced how he destroyed what he claimed to protect.

* * *

But Jack was in her path. A defensive stance, staff ready to forcefully push her away if needed.  
And she froze. He never even considered to push her away before…  
She looked at his face and felt her heart break. What had she done? If he had been mad at her she would've been able to handle it. If he had been demanding her to stop she would've been able to finish, for he would know that she didn't take orders. But his eyes were not demanding. They begged her to stop.  
She should've sent him out. She realized that he had not stopped her before now because he thought she needed it. But he had reached his limit, it was more than he could handle.  
This realization took only half an instant. But before she could calm down and apologize to him, hug him and tell him that she just wanted to be able to do something for once. Before he could tell her it was alright and ask her to please apologize for her behavior to the guardians. Before all that could happen North pushed Jack behind him. He hadn't understood a word of what was said to the others. He didn't know her motivations for acting like this. He only knew that she was a very powerful spirit that at the moment had no control of her emotions and didn't shy away from physically attacking others.  
"Jack no, is dangerous." Safia felt hurt. She would never harm Jack. Her temper flared. She didn't even bother to yell at him in his native tongue, this was something everyone should hear.  
"You insolent fool! I would never even consider for a moment to hurt Jack!" The accusation she implied was evident. Sandy started to think that the others would really deserve a scolding from him as well once he got them to talk about what happened last Eastern.  
"He is a part of me! You hurt him, I get hurt! You get it? We are almost one! If I would hurt him I might as well stab myself!" North stepped back a bit due to the force that streamed out of her. Everyone was speechless. Except, of course-  
"Wind… please…" Jack whispered stepping around North, locking his gaze onto her eyes.  
"You said what you wanted to say. Please calm down. I'm not mad at you. I should've known that you weren't ready to meet them. I'm sorry. I should've waited a bit longer." She hated that he blamed himself and shook her head.  
"No, Jack. I waited too long. I didn't want to try to forgive them because I didn't want to… admit that this was really a part of our life now. I really wanted things to stay how they were and that was selfish. I'm sorry Jack." She closed the gap between them, it was the first time the guardians had seen her actually walk and they were awed by her grace.  
When she reached him she threw her arms around him and he responded her hug without hesitation, comforting her as she cried all her sorrow out. He softly rubbed circles on her back and send soft feelings of comfort and love her way.  
The guardians couldn't help but find it an odd sight. When they touched Jack, even in a simple way like laying a hand on his shoulder, he reacted awkward and smiled uncomfortable. But now…  
It was just another prove to how much he had been hurt in the past, by them and others.  
Only Wind was close enough to him, she wasn't locked outside by his walls. And the guardians now truly felt just how high those were. It would take time break them down.

* * *

Safia had recollected herself and released Jack. They looked in each other's eyes a moment.  
It was strange. This looked like it was a gesture lovers made, but it wasn't.  
After a moment of silent conversation she nodded, turned to the guardians, sighed and changed. Her dress was replaced by jeans, a white t-shirt and a see through light blue blouse which she wore open so it flew up slightly in the breeze that always seemed to surround her. She now really looked like a child. A 14 year old girl you might meet on the street.  
"I'm not saying that I didn't mean what I said, because I do." She spoke with a gentler voice then before. This was how she spoke to Jack. He called it her 'home voice' because she used it when she felt calm and save. Her other voice was to express age and power. This one was one hundred percent her.  
"But I shouldn't have been that hard on you. It's just… Jack is all I have. I tried to help him. And I believed that I could protect him best by helping him dodge and escape." The guardians shuddered not daring to imagine the fights Wind implied Jack to have gotten into. "But the past 300 years I have wanted to defend him, truly show myself and defend him, and felt powerless to do so. I now understand that being his invisible back up wasn't enough. I should've showed myself sooner and let them know what I thought of them.  
But I didn't. I have been invisible and unknown for so long, I almost had forgotten myself, Jack saved me from that, but I preferred being unknown, for that was all I had ever known. I had Jack now to remind myself that I am more than just the wind. And for me that was enough. But it wasn't enough for Jack. He still felt alone and just feeling my presence in the wind wasn't always enough. Especially when he was attacked he seemed to forget that he could flee with me. Maybe he was just stubborn. Wanting to prove that he could defend himself." Wind rolled her eyes. Jack chuckled, thought Wind didn't find it funny.  
"Don't joke about you getting hurt Jack. You know it Pisses me of." She glared at him but he just shrugged. He wasn't easily intimidated by her. But the guardians nearly lost it. Jack had gotten hurt?  
How often? How badly? Did they even want to know? Jack noticed their worry.  
"Don't worry. You should see the other guy. Most learned not to mess with me after one fight. And who didn't? Well they got it the second time." Jack clearly felt proud of that.  
"So ya say ya never lost?" Bunny asked. Jack nodded, feeling more than a bit proud of that. He was after all one of the youngest spirits around, in all possible ways.  
"Well anyway." Wind said wanting to end the subject. "I took out all my anger on the three of you, and while I still feel like it was right for me to be mad at you, since Jack refuses to be, I shouldn't have tried to punish you for the mistakes others made. I hope you can forgive me for that." She bowed her head and folded her hands in front of her, awaiting their verdict. The guardians looked at each other. They felt like they had even more to make up for then they had previously thought. Tooth was the first to approach Wind. She didn't touch her, she felt the girl didn't want that. But she lowered herself so she could look in her eyes. Wind noticed this and looked up, curiously.  
"Oh Sweet tooth. We're not mad. You were right. And we hope we ever succeed in making it up to you and Jack. To deserve his forgiveness not just receiving it."  
Wind smiled slightly. She still didn't trust them, but she could see that she could warm up to them.  
"Eh, Wind, guys I swear I'm not trying to get away, but the winter sprites are kind of expecting me, like two days ago. They won't be too worried that I'm late, I usually get distracted but… I can't stall any longer." Wind nodded.  
"You are right. I can feel them calling for you." She said softly, her appearance becoming more untouchable before she seemingly disappeared.  
"Is alright mate. Inna also visits all spring spirits and sprites at the beginning of our season." Jack smiled glad that they understood. He waved the others goodbye with the promise that he would return after his meeting to finish preparations. After all tomorrow was Christmas and after that there was no time for discussions or changes.  
"Oh and lets exchange gifts when I come back alright?"

 **So how do you like it? Not too long? Do you like wind? What do you think of her relationship with Jack? I really don't intend for them to be lovers, but I get that it seems that way at times. But given the fact that they've been traveling together for 300 years I feel like they should know each other really well. Alright let me know what you think. Lots of love and Jack says hi.  
Your fan **


	4. 3) The prince has returned

***Toothina arives early* Now where can that sweetthoot be?  
*I walk in still looking trough my notes, look up and see her.* Already? I haven't even started yet!  
Tooth: Sorry sweets, ignore that I'm here  
me: not your fault the others don't trust me. I almost forgot it once and they just can't trust that I'll remember now.  
Oh, well. So as you should know, I don't own the rise of the guardians or the guardians of childhood franshise. If you didn't, I'll gladly take that as a compliment. Okay, warning for this chapter? Let's see...  
**

 **(Minion)**

 **3)The prince has returned  
and also a merry Christmas  
**Jack felt lighter than ever before. He hadn't expected that it would feel so great!  
His friends wanted to get to know Safia and would gladly welcome her in the group and she seemed to be willing to give them a chance to change her mind about them. This made him so happy.  
And later they would open Christmas presents. He remembered Christmas from his mortal years now, but he really wanted to create new memories.  
The past 300 years he had spent every Christmas in front of a window wishing that he could join the scene inside. He didn't spend all night there because he couldn't do that to his friend and frankly, it would only depress him. So instead he had fun with her for the biggest part of the night.  
Sometimes he visited some of his winter sprites that were having fun.  
He smiled as he remembered the first time he met them. It had been around this time of year, shortly before his first Christmas as an immortal, and his first Christmas ever as far as he could remember at the time. Old man Winter had called him to the South pole to meet them. He didn't have a clue what was going on. Suddenly there was-  
"The prince has returned!" This.  
He had hardly realized that Wind was putting him down before Flake and Blizzard knocked him over.  
"Hey, down boys, come on don't. Down, I missed you guys too but please." He chuckled as he pushed the two snow wolves of and wiped his face.  
"Your majesty!" The snow pixies twirled around him and to his frustration created the same attire they made him wear every time he visited. It was a prince costume in royal blue and snow white.  
Including a crown made of ice.* He thought it way to stuffy and the cape especially made him feel ridiculous. Safia claimed that he looked very handsome in it but he disagreed. He humored the pixies but before he left he always insisted they give him back his other clothes, which they did.  
He wasn't bossy over them, which was why they respected him so much. He had only once given a direct order before and that was to protect them from the anger of a certain Bunny.  
He didn't see himself as royalty and he felt really uncomfortable when he was treated like one.  
Today wasn't the bizarre admiration he had come to anticipate and more or less accept.

* * *

His two favorite wolves acted as if he had returned from death and the pixies floated around him as if he was a god. All the winter sprites around him acted strange.  
"Okay, what's wrong?" Everyone looked at each other until a snowshoe hare hoped forward.  
Jack knelt down so he and the hare named Flurgus were on more equal height.  
"Well, you see your" Jack gave him a pointed look after which Flurgus smiled and corrected himself. "Jack Frost, we, the snow sprites are always aware of the presence of our king and prince in the world. We know when you are close but we also know when you gain or lose power or when you use a lot of it. Well, never before, not even when we could clearly feel you were in a fight, have you tried to use your powers to their full potential. Definitely not as a weapon. The farthest you had tested them was creating frost paintings and your fun-flakes. A very creative trick, don't get me wrong, and noble at that." All sprites nodded their agreement.  
Jack felt like hiding his face. They must enjoy embarrassing him.  
"Imagine how surprised and worried we were when you suddenly collected so much power for a clearly offensive attack after which your presence completely disappeared for a second. And not even six hours later we felt so much rage in your powers, we wanted to come but you subconsciously must've sent us an order for we could not come anywhere near you. And then your power broke!  
We feared we lost you for real this time but then you returned stronger than ever and soon you started gaining even more power and fast. It leveled out soon but you used more of these strong offensive attacks. And then all became peaceful again. Until a few days ago when your active power raised exponentially. You now use all the power you used to have slumbering on a daily basis, but there is even more new power still lying dormant. Waiting to be awakened. I am, we are, curious about what happened and what new abilities you have learned." Jack was surprised. He was even stronger then this? How could that be?

* * *

"Uh, well, I'll tell you but you all must swear you won't tell anyone else. It's supposed to be this big announcement at the nox-lumen you know." The sprites nodded eagerly.  
"Well, the reason my power increased so mush is… I'm a guardian now." And then he had no chance to say anything again for ten minutes straight. He was overwhelmed by excited cheers and being thrown over by the whole pack. When everything calmed down he sat up cross-legged and started to tell the story from the moment he was 'invited' to the pole until the point where he took the oath. He downplayed the moments he though would get his sprites upset. He was no prince, but they relied on him and admired him. He did not want them to worry or hurt over him.  
By the end of his story he got the feeling that if the sprites saw him as a royal before they thought him to be a god now. Any hope he ever might have had that one day they would treat him like a regular guy went straight out of the window.  
"Erm… well as for my new powers." Jack looked around and when he saw that there was no solid object to use he decided to try if he could use the snow as well. He drew a fox in the snow and focused his powers. It worked. Moments later a snow fox jumped out of the snow and ran around in the air. All the sprites cheered and laughed.  
Jack felt giddy, and showed how he could make ice sculptures rise from glaciers and frozen puddles.  
He also showed how he could make small ice objects appear in his hands, from little statues to tools, technically also weapons but he didn't want to risk having to face how the pixies would fawn about him completing his outfit with an ice sword and shield. Best not to place the suggestion.  
He had been able to create frost images and make small animals of snow appear for ages but they never held position like they did now, especially not this long. Not to mention moving around like that.  
"Oh, and see this?" He took a little ice statue of himself with his sister on his shoulders out of his pocket. It was his first ice creation since becoming a guardian.  
"I've had this since last Eastern. I held it above a hot spring once to test and it didn't even warm up to the steam. It's eternal because I want it to be." He explained. He had never made eternal ice before, but he was happy he could now. It made making gifts for his friends easier.  
"Majesty." A fox by the name of Thunder exclaimed. Jack rolled his eyes. Again with the majesty.  
"This is just the tip of the iceberg." Jack chuckled at the unintended pun.  
"I mean it! If you ever find yourself in danger, you must remember this. You'll most likely find that you are not as lost as you think. And don't forget, please, next time you find yourself in such a tight spot, remember that we can help you." Jack smiled stroking the foxes fur.  
"Thanks Thunder. I'll remember it next time. But I hope that will take a while. Now. Enough about me. I'm here for a check-up. I know old man winter has given you the orders already so let's talk any individual plans you might have so I know where I should drop by." Jack didn't want to forbid personal initiative. He even encouraged it. But he liked to know of these plans so he could make sure they didn't go out of hand. It happened sometimes and he preferred to be able to keep the damage to a minimum. He didn't have to. Old man winter was charged with controlling the sprites. His only task was to be where snow had to be and spread his frost and snowball fights. If he had wanted the past 300 years would really have been only snowballs and fun times. He could've chosen not to visit the sprites ever again after that first encounter, but when they called him 'prince' he felt like they looked up to him and trusted him to guide them. To be honest it felt nice to know that they thought him capable of greatness and he didn't plan on disappointing them.  
It had appeared they had been waiting for a prince so long, he couldn't abandon them.  
After he had heard the plans of mischief his sprites, debating on the pros and cons of a blizzard in Florida overnight so the kids could play in the snow for a bit and modifying a couple of the more, let's say crazy plans, reminding his sprites that they didn't want anyone to get hurt too seriously. A bruise or a scratch? No problem. Jack had heard a lot of mothers over the years say that bruises meant they had fun. Broken bones and such? He was not fine with that. Rule was: when a kid's forced to go inside the prank isn't funny.  
He said goodbye to the sprites. "Pimper?" He looked at one of the pixies. She pouted.  
"But my prince! As a guardian…" Jack interrupted her. "As the guardian of fun I should look approachable for the kids, like I'm one of them. Not as if I stepped out of a storybook."  
The pixies sighed knowing he was right and returned him to his normal outfit. He smiled and bowed for them to cheer them up. Then he left.

* * *

"We have to make a quick stop at the lake to pick up the presents." He told Wind when they neared the equator. She let him know that she was fine with that but he would have to amuse himself for a bit because she had to make presents for his friends. Jack told her no one would be mad if she didn't have anything, but Wind knew the guardians were making gifts for her at that precise moment. She would not show up empty handed.  
So after he had retrieved his presents from their hiding place Jack sat himself on a bench at the edge of his lake, wondering if the others would like his gifts. He had tried his best to find perfect gifts.  
But perfection wasn't something he had ever (not even as a human) aimed for.  
Suddenly he was distracted by the sound of the Bennett siblings approaching him.  
"Jack is here! Jack is here!" Sophie's excited voice was the first that reached him.  
They hadn't seen him jet but they knew the difference between snow that fell when he was around and snow that was sent by old man winter.  
Sophie Bennett had come to like Jack almost as much as she loved her Bunny.  
"Come on. Race you to the lake Soph!" And soon Jack could see his great (and a lot more greats) grand niece and nephew running towards him. He spread his arms to give the both of them a big hug. "Hey, how are my two adventurers doing? Excited for Christmas?" He asked looking up to the two children. "Santa coming! I've been nice!" Sophie exclaimed looking at Jack with a look that said  
'you will tell him that right?' Jack couldn't keep himself from smiling.  
"Do you think he'll say hi before he leaves this year?" Jamie asked with big hope-filled eyes.  
"You know, make an exception on the 'no child sees Santa' rule for the last light and the Eastern bunny's little anklebiter?" he continued. Jack chuckled.  
"I can of course ask North if he'd say hello to you. And I'm sure you and your friends are all high up on the nice list. And you too Sophie. I don't think you could ever be on the naughty list."  
He ruffled the four year olds hair. Suddenly he saw that they were not alone.  
A brown haired girl, about 14 or 15 years old, was looking at the scene with a fond smile and curious, intense, bright green eyes that reminded him of his childhood friend Clara.  
She shared some features with Jamie, which made Jack believe that she might be related to him somehow. He studied her clothes and immediately saw another significant clue that she could very well be related to Jamie. She was wearing plain black boots, paired with a grey jeans, a midnight-blue t-shirt on which was a drawing of a figure leaning against a tree, gazing up at the starlit sky and the moon. On it the words 'When you believe in dreams, they become reality.'  
Her red sweater was open and had snowflakes and mistletoe all over it. To top it all of she was wearing a Christmas hat.  
She was looking at them, not as if she was amazed by how the two children seemed to be talking to the same imaginary friend or awestruck because Jack Frost was right in front of her. But she was most certainly aware that he was there because she noticed he had seen her and she was looking him in the eyes. She gave him a smile and then took a second look at him. Jack had no personal experience with this, so he wasn't sure, but it looked like she was checking him out.

* * *

"Jamie, Soph. Why don't you introduce me to your friend?" She asked in a friendly voice.  
Jamie and Sophie spun around to look at the girl and then turned back and forth between her and Jack, who was standing up again. He chuckled amused and nodded to the children that it was okay. "Uh, Jack this is our cousin Nicky." Ah, so he had been right. "Nicky this is our friend Jack Frost."  
Jack bowed for Nicky flashing her a smile that, to his surprise, made her blush a little.  
"Jack Frost huh? Like the mythical figure?" Well she might not think that he was the real deal, but she had at least heard of him and obviously believed he existed.  
"You heard about that?" He asked not denying, nor confirming anything.  
"Of course. I'm a big fan of anything fantasy or legendary and all in between. It runs in the Bennett blood you know." She smiled at him pointing to her hat and Jack couldn't wait for her reaction when she learned that he was the mythical figure. Excited, incredulous? What would it be?  
"Ah, so that hat isn't just to be cute? Trying to score some last minute bonus points?" He joked. 'Again with the blush. What was it with this girl?' He wondered.  
Well said girl wasn't sure she was being teased or flirted with. Nor was she sure if she minded either option. She wasn't averted to the whole 'love at first sight' thing, but she did think it to be the exception not the rule. She believed attraction at first sight was far more often the case and that this could bloom in friendship, nothing at al or that something more so many people were so eager to find.  
"I don't need extra bonus points. You should worry about yourself. You're way more likely to end up on the naughty list. At least if my information is correct."  
Jack chuckled. "Last I heard, I held the record." He admitted.  
"So what does your 'information' tell about me?" he asked, truly curious. Teenagers rarely believed in the guardians they grew up with anymore. So he hadn't expected one to believe in a guardian that was brand new. It was very interesting.  
"Well, you're a trouble maker, but you love to make people, especially children, laugh. You are loyal, brave and became who you are by saving your little sister. And you were born Jackson Overland." Jack smirked. 'Better live up to my reputation then. After all I can't disappoint a fan now can I?'  
"Oh god!" he exclaimed, pretending to be frightened. He jumped back and crouched down to speak to the younger Bennett siblings.  
"She's found me, the two of you must run and find cover. This won't be pretty."  
Jamie's eyes went from confused to excited and then he faked worry as he pulled Sophie closer.  
"Who do you mean Jack?" Jamie was a good actor but he nor Sophie were able to hide their excitement at this new game. Jack came up with the best game-stories.  
"The fan-girl!" He had heard the term being used on the news and found the image of teenage girls fawning over your picture and getting all crazy when you neared them both funny and a bit scary. Perfect villain material. Nicky chuckled, casting Jack a 'really?' look. Then she started playing along.  
"Jack Frost! I shall devour you!" she said in a voice she hoped sounded like a good scary fan-girl.  
"Oh, Jack! Watch out!" Sophie yelled. "No worries you two. The last light is here to protect you!"  
Jamie stepped forward. "I warn you! I've aided the guardians against the boogieman! Know that you are entering a losing battle!" Jamie looked pretty cool standing all heroic like that.  
Nicky found this game interesting. She had no idea what Jamie meant with 'last light' and 'guardians' but he looked so confident and proud when he talked about defeating the boogieman, a character she did know.  
She had noticed since her arrival that her niece and nephew were different somehow. Was that it? Had Jamie encountered the boogieman? Many would declare her insane for considering that. But she was raised knowing that believing was seeing, not the other way around. And the reason she was raised that way was Jack Frost. The boy in front of her had been introduced as him, but that could not be true. Legends didn't play with children like this. They were hidden, that's what made believing so fun. That little shadow of doubt that you had to get over when someone rolled their eyes at you.  
But she was sure this handsome, kind, young boy in front of her was a true believer as well.  
Otherwise Jamie and Sophie wouldn't like him this much. He sure looked like he could be Jack Frost. With his pale skin, white hair, dreamy blue eyes and frost themed clothes. Wait a minute what mother let her kid out without shoes in this weather? Part of her wanted to mention it straight away and get the boy some shoes, but the cold didn't seem to bother him at all. And she wasn't sure if it really would be worth interupting the game about. After all maybe he was wearing special shoes that made it look like he was barefoot. He had stepped on a frozen puddle without even flinshing after all. She would just have to keep an eye out for signs of hypothermia.  
"I don't know who you mean by guardians you little boy! But they can't be a match for me!" Jack chuckled and she looked at him. What was so funny?  
"And here I was thinking you believed in us? I mean, with the hat and the shirt." He was teasing, not ridiculing her believe and that made her want to get to know this boy even more.  
"I do believe. But I just never heard the terms 'last light' or 'guardians' before." She was really curious thought. Jack smiled and gestured for everyone to sit down. The kids pouted not happy that the game was cut short, but at the same time curious as to what Jack was planning.

* * *

Jack casually walked back and forth in front of the bench as he started his story.  
"Well you know them. They are the ones the man in the moon has chosen to protect the children and all that makes childhood so great. You have the sandman." Nicky gasped in amazement as she suddenly saw a figure appear in the snow. It seemed to represent a small guy with wild hair who had his arms spread upwards as if welcoming an old friend. "He is the guardian of dreams."  
Around the figure images of dinosaurs, dolphins, butterflies, unicorns and much more appeared. Nicky's eyes widened. Was Jack doing that? If so then that must mean that… Oh, dear lord!  
"Then you have the tooth fairy." A figure of a hummingbird like woman appeared. "She is the guardian of memories." The woman opened a box from which came an image of children hugging their parents.  
"Of course you know Santa Claus." An image of a big man with the telltale Christmas hat.  
"Guardian of wonder" and this time toy planes and trains appeared to be moving all around the man.  
"Don't forget the eastern bunny." An image of what looked to Nicky like a man-sized bunny.  
"Guardian of hope" an egg out of witch a baby chick was being born.  
"And last, but not least. Me." Jack whirled his staff around to first intensify the snow before making it stop entirely. "Jack Frost, guardian of fun." He smiled and bowed for the shocked teen.  
Before anyone could say anything Jack noticed that Wind was ready to leave.  
"It was great meeting you Nicky. Well I need to get to the pole now. North's expecting me. Be good and merry Christmas!" he joined Wind and they left the poor girl to process what she just saw.  
Lucky for her she had her niece and nephew to confirm that she wasn't crazy.  
Wind carried Jack to the pole. He was happy to have met a new believer, a teenager at that.  
"Did you have luck with coming up with presents for everyone?" He asked Wind.  
"Yes, they may be not very original or varied but I tried to make them somewhat personal."  
Jack nodded, he really appreciated that Wind was trying so hard with his friends.  
"I'm sure they'll understand that you didn't have much time," he assured her.  
Not much later they reached the pole. Jack smiled seeing that everyone was sitting around the fire. Hot chocolate and all traditional Christmas treats gathered on the table.  
Immortals didn't have to eat. But they still could when they wished. Just like they didn't have to sleep, but could if they wanted to shut the world outside for a bit. Of course not all immortals had time for that. Tooth and Sandy by example had to work 24/7. Last time Tooth took a nap was last year when she was knocked out by dream sand. Luckily events like nox-lumen took place somewhere that existed outside of space and time. Everyone was welcome to use the sleeping quarters afterwards, but not many took the offer, only those who had danced a lot or drank a bit too much.  
Jack? Last time he slept was on a winter-night shortly after Christmas, he was woken up by his little sister insisting that he had promised to take her to the lake today. He had begged for five more minutes, but she had jumped on his bed and insisted that he really should wake up.  
"Jack!" He snapped out of his daydream. It was Tooth who called his name.  
Wind appeared next to him, they locked eyes for a moment and then jumped out of the window to softly land by the fire.  
"Hey guys. Ready for your big night North?" He asked as he walked in like the conversation of earlier never took place.  
"Dah everything in place. You got Vat I asked?" Jack nodded picking a list from his pocket.  
"Phill already has a list. And some pointers. You'll see." Jack smiled happily. Today had been meant as a checklist day. Jack had been in charge of music. And because he had been observing the dance for the past 300 editions he knew exactly how to get everyone on the dance floor.  
"Wonderful, good job boy." North laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. For a split moment he was lost at how to react.  
Then an image of his father doing something very similar once came to his mind and he knew exactly what to do.  
How to express his feelings. He looked up to North and smiled letting his eyes show how happy he was to have made North proud. It felt surprisingly nice not to hide for once. But it didn't last long.  
The moment he saw how happy North was with his reaction he felt himself close up again, even if he didn't want to. One day he would find the strength to win from his instincts. For now he would have to deal with it battle after battle.  
He looked away from North and turned to the others. Subtly freeing himself from the man's grasp.  
He smirked at the others and asked: "So how are we going to go about these presents?"

* Link to a drawing of what I envision as Prince Jack Frost on my profile.


	5. 4) merry Christmas

**4)merry Christmas  
Me: Before anyone pops up! I do not own the rise of the guardians or children of childhood! I do own the plot of this story and a couple of characters I came up with that weren't mentioned in the movie or books. If they were mentioned I just picked up the idea of that individual being and existing person and made up my own idea of its character and history. I might tap in to cannon facts about them but give them my own twist. There! I beat them this time.**

 ***sandy appears and waves friendly*  
Me: *gasp* et tu Sandy? Do you have no faith in me to? Well you are too late! I already did the disclaimer and am about…*sees sandy's images flicker* What… Uhm, present you… Oh you want to know what kind of presents you get in this chapter? Well you'll have to wait and see. But I think you'll like them. Sorry for snapping. *Sandy waves it of*  
Thanks. Oh, one of the readers wondered if the other guardians knew that Jack was the winter prince and the answer is yes. Just in case anyone else was wondering.**

 **Okay the warning for this chapter: (minion)**

"Vell we thought ve vould take turns handing out presents to the others, open them and let the next person pass out his presents." Jack nodded. "Mind if I go first?" he asked shyly.  
The others smiled to him and nodded. He took out what looked like a couple of white flower studs of various sizes and passed them out. Everyone studied his (or her) stud curiously.  
"Who wants to open his first?" Jack was jumping in his seat, both due to nerves and excitement.  
"I will," Wind said. Jack nodded and pointed a finger at her stud sending an ice blue spark towards it which broke open in a rain of blue sparkles when it hit the flower. A moment passed and the flower slowly opened itself. Revealing a sparkling necklace with a beautifully crafted locket. It was blue with silver decorations. The center was a tree. Wind seemed taken aback*.  
"Is that?" Jack smiled shyly. "The tree where we talked for the first time. Look inside."  
She opened the locket and gasped. In it was a patch of eternal ice in which a picture was engraved of her and Jack just smiling at her with one arm around each other's shoulder. But if she angled it to the left they were accompanied by her brothers and sister and to the right the guardians appeared.  
"Do you like it?" Wind looked at Jack incredulously. "I love it. It's perfect." And it was. It symbolized their bond and how they were a non-negotiable part of each other's world.  
She flashed over to him and gave him a hug. "Thank you so much." Jack hugged her back and chuckled. "Here" he said as he took the necklace. "Let me help you put it on." Wind turned and kept her hair from her neck. The guardians smiled at the two. It was such a relieve to know that Jack had such a good friend with him the past 300 years.  
Then Wind returned to her seat, looking at her locket in wonder.  
"Next?" Jack asked. Bunny chuckled. "Alright snowflake, let's see what you have in store for me."  
Jack smiled a bit nervously as he send a spark to Bunny's stud. It opened to reveal a little soft creature. It was a real tiny bunny, it would fit right in your palm, made of snow.  
"She won't fall apart unless I want her to. I made her to help you. She'll lead the little ones to nice eggs that are hard to find. And she can make a lot copy's of herself so she can be at more places than one, and she'll return to being just one once her task is done. She's also a great tracker so if you need to speak to either one of us she'll lead you the way. You like her?" It was a rhetorical question. Bunny was already petting the little snow bunny. "I love her. She is a beauty. I'm sure the kids will love her as well. I can imagine the first time they see her. I bet they'll immediately suspect you have something to do with her though." Bunny winked at Jack teasingly who just smirked at him.  
"You're a beauty little Snowdrop." The Pooka was cooing to the little creature that was curiously crawling all over her new owner before nestling herself on his shoulder. Everyone chuckled at that. No matter how tuff he acted, inside he was the mushiest person you've ever met.  
"Ah, can I go next?" Tooth asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Jack responded by sending her a spark. Tooth was awed by the little, silver charm-bracelet that was revealed.  
"It already has a couple on it but you can add as many as you want." There was a symbol for each of the guardians (an hourglass, an egg, a snowflake and a Christmas hat) one for Wind (a compass) and one for their first adventure together (a star) all made from ice-blue crystal.  
Tooth flew over to Jack to give him a careful hug, which he –to her relieve- returned.  
She could feel that he wasn't entirely comfortable with it yet so she let him go and returned to her seat, staring at her present in wonder.  
"It's beautiful Jack I'll cherish it." Tooth was so touched by the thoughtful gift that she didn't manage more than a whisper. Jack smiled, happy that everyone liked their gifts so far.  
"The biggest one now then?" he suggested sending a spark to Norths stud that indeed was the biggest. It opened and North looked curiously to the snow globe in which a miniature of Stanoff clause could be seen. It was nicely decorated with engravings and one blue stone.  
"If you press the stone a hidden compartment will open on the side and one fun-flake will come out. I tried my best, but the number isn't infinite. Use them wisely. I sincerily hope you won't need them but… Sometimes, there is no gift big enough to bring a smile. You and I both know that just because it's Christmas it doesn't mean there won't be anyone in need of a little bit extra Christmas cheer. And I can't be everywhere either, but together, we might make more kids happy on Christmas than ever before…" Jack felt a bit insecure, afraid that North would be mad that he was interfering with his work, but North looked at the globe curiously.  
"Vat is fun-flake?" Oh, right. The others had only seen Jack do it once and wouldn't recognize the term. "Remember when we were in the warren and Bunny suddenly got all playful?" With that everyone understood, even Sandy who, while clueless about most of what happened during his absence, had heard about that particular event.  
"Alright that just leaves you Sandy." And with that a spark flew to Sandy's small stud. When it opened a bell was seen, made from Jacks eternal, bright blue ice. And when Sandy rang it the sound was pure and pleasant, but impossible to ignore.  
"That way you can call every ones attention when needed." Sandy smiled to the young spirit grateful for this gift. It showed how well Jack had been paying attention to the others that he could give them such great gifts when he only had really known them for a year.  
It made them nervous about their gifts for Jack. Would he like these as much as they liked his.  
"So, that were all my gifts. Who is next." Jack was excited about receiving a gift. The last Christmas presents he had ever gotten was a new slip joint knife (his old hunting knife had been sacrificed for the greater good, no details) from his parents, a lucky charm from his sister, a book with illustrated versions of his own tales from his friends and from Santa a sleigh he had wanted to replace the old one that hadn't survived his last stunt.  
He was so excited, but he would patiently wait his turn.

* * *

"Vell it's Christmas, so I suppose I should go next." North stood up and pulled nicely wrapped presents from his sack and passed them around. Jack suppressed the urge to shake his. To his surprise North urged him to go first. The good man realized how excited Jack was and since it was his first Christmas in centuries North supposed the boy had waited long enough.  
Jack unwrapped his present, opened the box and saw that it was one of North's snow globes.  
"Is vision globe. You want to see someone or something, no matter where on earth, you just shake and tell the globe what you want to see." Jack was awed and shook it experimentaly.  
"the Bennett family, Burges" and sure enough there was Jamie with his family in the living room. His cousin and parents, Sophie and Jack assumed the other two were his aunt and uncle.  
'Now, Nicky why would you tell him about that now? We wanted to wait until he was a bit older. I don't know if it's…' Mrs. Bennett was interrupted by her husband. "Sweetheart, I am sure Nicky had good reasons, and while it is not a cheery story it is part of our family history, why it is our towns history.' Jack shook the globe again to erase the image. It would seem that Jamie and Sophie would know the full true story soon. If they didn't already. He smiled when he thought about what that implied. His sister had made sure that Jackson Overland was remembered. And it would seem she also made sure that at least her bloodline would always believe. 'Oh, Emma. How I wish that I could hold you one more time. That would be some Christmas present.' That made him think of his parents and his friends. He felt like he was about to cry so instead he focused on other things like the look in Nicky's eyes when she realized who she had been talking with. That helped, he could now look up at North and smile without any sadness. Not today. He would show that part of himself later. Even his birth family had rarely seen him sad, of course as human he hadn't had much reason to be sad. Sure life hadn't always been perfect, but never sad, not to him at least.  
"It's great North. I'm sure I'll be able to use this often." North was relieved to hear this.  
"Alright, Vind? Is your turn." Wind was surprised. It would seem that the guardians really wanted her to like them. North looked at her expectantly clearly excited about what she'd think of her present.  
When she opened the box she looked curiously at the silver charm bracelet.  
"Like Swiss army knife but more elegant. Each charm is handy tool. The silver branch is key to all doors, magic or not. Lantern can make light as long as you have light within you. Winter rose will warn if naughty person is near. Kite is lighter. And lastly my favorite, snowflake will point where need to go when lost. You said you like helping Jack, tools might help." Wind didn't know what to say. It was a very nice gift and indeed they would be useful.  
"Thank you Nicholas. It's beautiful," she whispered. North took that as a good sign.  
"Bunny you up." Bunny looked suspiciously at the present before carefully opening it, snowdrop watching his actions curiously from his shoulder.  
"A book?" Bunny wondered. North chuckled. "On how to overcome carsickness? Seriously North?"  
Jack thought it was a funny joke and snickered along with North and Wind, Tooth and Sandy tried a bit harder to hide their amusement but couldn't help but crack a smile.  
"Look inside," North suggested. Bunny did, there was a card in it and when he opened it the room was filled with Norths voice saying 'As much as it pains me to say old friend, this time Easter is more important than Christmas!' Bunny smiled excitedly.  
"Just don't abuse it, dah?" Bunny nodded. It was a big deal actually so he wouldn't risk wasting this gesture by making North regret it.  
"Now, Tooth!" Toothina quickly removed the wrapping paper of her present revealing a book.  
"Is scrap book. For memories." North explained. Tooth flipped through the pages. North had already placed tokens from their shared past in, but had left some place open for her own memories. Tooth didn't question were he got the pictures or tokens from, making perfect gifts was what North did best. Most of the book though was empty, for future memories. She placed the book beside her and flew over to North to give him a hug. "Thanks it's wonderful." When Tooth returned to her seat Sandy was waving, asking permission to open his gift.  
"Dah, Sandy. Is your turn." A few moments later Sandy was holding a box of dream catchers.  
"For those sensitive to Pitch." Sandy nodded and send North a thumbs up.

* * *

"Tooth! You want give presents now?" Tooth nodded eagerly and gave everyone what looked like a jewelry box. She indicated Jack that he should go first.  
"Okay, here it goes… A toothbox?" Jack was clearly confused by this.  
"It's not the one Pitch stole last year, I made a new one. It will show you whatever memories you want. By example you think about Christmas and it will show you every Christmas you had since you were four. You can also take someone with you, if you want to show Wind your birth village or something. And you can add memories from your immortal life just touch the blue stone on the other side and think about the memory you want to add. It's also smaller and has a chain so you won't lose it." Tooth was very nervous hoping he liked it. Jack fought tears. When he entered his memories for the first time he had only seen the ones he had to see. All the rest came back to him but he hadn't been able to really see them like those first few. He remembered when they arrived in Burges, but not the smell and the feel of the night like he could remember that field he had ran through when his mother claimed he couldn't have fun all the time. He remembered his father, but couldn't recall his voice as well as his mothers. Now, he could truly remember all those things and more. His eyes watered but he refused to cry. Sure these were happy tears, but still. He really didn't want to cry for any reason in front of his friends. It still made him feel too vulnerable.  
"Thanks… I… I can't say how much I appreciate this." Tooth smiled happy that she made the right decision. She turned to Wind smiling expectantly.  
"Oh? A ring?" She was clearly confused. "Well, for some reason I couldn't find your teeth anywhere. But I managed to make a ring that can show you memories, a little bit like a mini television." Wind smiled. Tooth was convinced that everyone was someone, but it hasn't always been that way. Maybe she would tell them the story today. Jack loved hearing it. And besides, now she had made this first step into the known world so to speak she felt like she could really go to the dance this year. So the story would be told at some point.  
"Thank you. I can imagine that it must've been frustrating not to find me in your palace." Tooth was relieved that Wind didn't seem to be angry. After a grateful smile to Wind she turned to Bunny.  
"I guess this also contains memories?" he guessed as he held up the decorative clip.  
"Yes, it's supposed to go on your shoulder strap." It seemed like Tooth had rediscovered the importance of her center, more than any of them. Jacks struggle due to not having them had made it painfully clear how valuable these were not only to children or mortals but to everyone. She realized that memories didn't just help you through hard times, they were essential to someone's sense of self. She was determined to never forget that again.  
She had been proud of her task but had fallen into a routine and when that happens mistakes can be made, like not noticing that someone's memories were unreachable for them.  
She gestured to North, he got a memory stone that could be attached to his sword handle.  
Sandy got a pocket watch that also contained a memory stone.

* * *

"Alright! My turn." Bunny exclaimed after glancing at Wind and Sandy to see if they wanted to go first. "Frosty." Bunny didn't pass all the gifts at once but opted for passing them one by one. He threw an egg to Jack that exploded in a rain of silver glitters, covering Jack completely.  
"Haha, seems like I'm rubbing of on you huh?" Jack snickered while shaking the glitter from his hair.  
"Hm, a brush?" Jack wondered as he looked at the silver painting tool.  
"Try it." Bunny was smirking seemingly impressed with his idea.  
Jack shrugged and did a swift stroke along the armrest of his couch, it immediately got covered in a frosty painting of Bunny with a sack and a Christmas hat. Everyone laughed at the image.  
"Hehe, good one. I know that you can make pretty good paintings yourself," he said waiting a moment to allow the frost to change into silver-blue glittering paint. "But this brush will not only respond to your very thoughts, but it will come in handy when you come over to the warren. Hopefully now you won't be tempted to frost it over." Jack was taken aback. He didn't even tell Bunny that he'd never think of frosting over another spirits home without either permission or serious provocation.  
Did Bunny really imply that Jack could come over to help prepare for Eastern?  
"I'm not making promises." He said teasingly, but the look in his eyes held gratitude.  
Bunny smiled and tossed another egg. "Sheila quick!" Wind slowed down the eggs fall and made it fall right into her hand. "Spoilsport." Bunny grumbled before the egg opened releasing a cloud of fog. Covering only Winds lap in its white dust.  
"Oh?" Wind curiously took out the hairclip. It was decorated with a stud. Strange.  
"If ya do it in ya hair it'll open, the color will depend on your mood. To give us a fair warning before ya spit the dummy like earlier." Bunny chuckled and gave her a wink to let her know he was only teasing. Wind smiled a bit shyly. The guardians were so accepting of her anger that she felt a bit ashamed of it.  
"Tooth!" Toothina flew up to the Egg and caught it as it reached its highest point, accidently covering everyone In green glitter. She giggled a bit at the sight and everyone soon joined in. It was quiet the sight. When everyone had shaken of most of the glitter she finally took a look at her present, it was a bag of seeds.  
"One for each of ya little fairies. Have them touch one and when they are in trouble it will ring." Tooth smiled and gave Bunny a hug.  
"Alright, North!" This egg right in North's hands, covering him in red glitter.  
"Hoho. Still funny. Hm?" He studied the miniatures of the globe room, each of the guardians and even one of wind. "Had to work real fast to add that last one. When ya lay a finger on the heart of the miniature and speak to it, the original will hear it. And if ya put them in the mini globe room and touch the globe all of us can hear. Think of it as a cellphone or something." North nodded impressed.  
"How did you make this?" Jack was curious. Making the miniatures was one thing but making them work like mobile phones was something he didn't know Bunny could do.  
"Ah I had a bit help from Natacha, spirit of communication." Jack nodded. Of course. All of them probably had some help creating these presents from someone. He and Wind were the only ones who didn't have much connections. Well, Jack knew Bedtime, Peter and Cupid. He wasn't on to bad terms with a lot of weather spirits and sprites that didn't belong under spring or summer, thought he wouldn't say they were friends. And of course MN, the season monarchs, and his fellow season children but he couldn't come near the seasonal spirits, wouldn't risk a random visit to MN and well, didn't dare asking for that kind of help regardless.  
"Kay. Sandy." The last egg exploded in a pink cloud earning the loudest round of laughs so far.  
"Oh, cottontail... And here… I was… thinking… you… would be… the one… with… the least… sense of humor." Jack could hardly speak through his laughter. Sandy huffed a bit pretending to be displeased. But even he couldn't fight his laughter for long. After everyone finally calmed down, Sandy finally thought it okay to study his present. It was an golden egg.  
"You could say it's a storage for your dream sand. Nothing will touch it there. I thought, if anything like last year happened again, we would at least have some of that to bring you back."  
Sandy smiled. It was comforting to know that his friends, both old and new, cared so much about him.

* * *

He glanced over to Wind who nodded, indicating that he could go first.  
Sandy spun a few streams of dream sand that reached for each of the guardians. With Jack they added a crystal to the chain Tooth had given him. The streams that reached North, Bunny and Wind each left a book on their laps. And around Tooth's neck a necklace was created with a tooth pendant.  
Jack studied his Crystal and to his surprise he saw it contained dream sand. He looked to Sandy wondering. Sandy decided to sign his explanation rather than using cryptic images.  
"A dream crystal. Oh, it will show me my dreams without me falling asleep… so it's a bit like daydreaming?" Sandy nodded. Jack smiled. He loved watching Sandy's work, it had always cheered him up. Wind looked at the book in front of her. It was a travel journal. How had Sandy known… Oh, guardian of dreams. Of course he had known that Wind would like a journal to keep track of the adventures she and Jack had all over the world. She smiled at Sandy who was pleased to see that the Wind spirit seemed to have forgiven them their mistakes, thought she might never forget. She after all had always been the one to catch Jack when he fell. Both figuratively and literally.  
Bunny's book was about modern art, some new inspiration for next year.  
North's was a collection of Christmas story's.  
Tooth studied her pendant and noticed that it also had some dream sand in it.  
Sandy signed to Jack, asking to translate. "Sandy says it will link memories to dreams. He hopes you like it." Tooth smiled. It was true that children sometimes refused happy memories. But when asleep their defenses were lower, she had tried activating the memories then in the past but it usually resulted in the child waking up before it could take effect. But offering them through dreams… that could work. "Thanks Sandy. It's perfect. Jack I didn't know you knew sign language?"  
"Oh, well I try. It wasn't easy, unlike all other languages I know, this wasn't a spoken one so Wind couldn't help me like with the others." Everyone looked curious.  
"Oh, well since any sound travels through Wind, she can not only imitate any sound but she also knows any spoken language. And if she wants she can pass on that knowledge to someone else." The others looked at Wind surprised. To them she was an entirely new spirit, so they were bound to be surprised by her at more than one occasion. Wind blushed.

* * *

"Speaking of which." She leaned over to Jack and touched the stone on his tooth box that collected new memories.  
"I thought you might want to see some of the stuff that happened when you weren't there."  
Jack smiled. He thought of his sister and friends. He hadn't always been near, he had missed out on a lot of stuff. He couldn't really do what he would've done on those occasions but he could imagine it. And then he could use the dream crystal to see it happen anyway. He hugged Wind.  
"Thanks, this is exactly what I needed." Wind tightened her grip a moment before letting go and appearing in front of Bunny. She held out her hands and in it a little music box appeared. It was decorated to look like a meadow in spring filled with eggs. In the middle of it all stood Bunny looking satisfied with a job well done. Wind pressed on one of the eggs and the box started to play a cheerful tune, every now and then the sound of children laughing was heard.  
"I call it 'Egg hunt'. Hope you like it." Bunny smiled. It was a lovely tune and it made him feel excited.  
"It's great sheila." He smiled and showed the music box to Snowdrop who immediately started to swing to the tune. "It's Snowdrop approved," he declared.  
Wind chuckled before giving a music box to Tooth, this one sounded like wind chimes and the chatter of the mini teeth, in the background they could hear the sound of children gasping in surprise.  
"Oh, so sweet! I love it Wind, thank you." North's music box held the sound of the sleigh bells and the exclamations of excitement on Christmas morning. Sandy's was a lullaby and children waking up from a good night's rest.  
"I hope they will always remind you of what you protect. All the guardians smiled grateful at Wind.  
"Vell look at time. In one hour, is Christmas!" North exclaimed.  
"Oh, well I suppose you have a lot to do then. Come on Wind! Let's see how white we can make this year's Christmas. Oh, almost forgot. Jamie wanted to know if you would say hi to him and Sophie. I said I would ask. It's up to you!" Jack jumped up, grabbed their presents and left with Wind. It was important that this year's Christmas was as perfect as possible. They needed to solidify the belief in the children. They had repaired most of the damage done by pitch last Eastern but there still were some children that were not so sure.  
"Oi, I'll go to my warren see you guys at the Nox Lumen!" With that Bunny fell trough one of his holes along with his presents. Sandy waved as he left on his dream cloud that carried not only him but also his presents, already starting to spread his dream sand. A couple of mini teeth arrived and Tooth started to give them instructions, waving North goodbye and carrying her presents with her.  
North smiled looking at his presents. It was a good start of Christmas eve. He stored away the book, music box and miniatures except Jacks, he might need to talk to him tonight. He also put the fun flake globe in his pocket hoping he wouldn't need it.  
"Right! Let's get started!"

* * *

Meanwhile Jack was covering as much ground as he could in one hour, calming down upcoming snowstorms and arguing about rainclouds. Like I said before, he wasn't on bad terms with most weather spirits. And before you ask, negotiating about the weather wasn't asking a favor. It's more like rearranging working schedules.  
"Please Sophia? It's Christmas eve. For me?" He gave her his sweetest look.  
When he was Jackson Overland this had often gotten him what he wanted.  
"Jack you know I'd love nothing more than to give everyone a white Christmas but… Oh, don't look at me like that. Where did you learn to make that face…? Fine! I'll see what I can do, but if mother nature complains-" Jack held up his hand.  
"Then you say whatever you need to get her of your case and on mine. I can handle Lady Nature. Thanks Soph! I owe you a dance!" He kissed her cheek, something he hadn't done to any girl (aside from Safia) in three centuries, and was about to take off.  
"Jack what happened? You dancing? And touching other spirits?" Oh, he should've known it would be noticed. "Oh, I got my memories back." Sophia looked at him surprised.  
"Yeah I never said I lost them to anyone because I didn't know I had them. But like I said, I owe you a dance on the Nox Lumen. Promise!" And of he went leaving the cloud spirit even more confused.  
He felt empowered, hence his boldness. Something was happening tonight, he didn't know what yet. He had finished his weather tour, any place that could possibly have snow this time of the year would have it. So now he only had to do his fun tour. He would start in England, and then follow the setting sun, stopping wherever he could help.

* * *

"Huh… did you feel that?" He asked Safia as he hovered above a house. Something felt of. They were in England, the sun was setting and the house underneath them was a farm. He went down to check on the child that was inside. It was a little girl, seven years old, praying before she went to bed.  
"To the stars, to the moon, to the seasons coming soon. To father time and mother nature.  
Please let someone hear my prayer." She was praying to anything she could think of. Must be important. "I hope someone is listening… My daddy is late he would be here by this morning. Mommy is sad. Please bring my daddy home." Oh, this sounds serious. Jack frosted the window creating a drawing of a compass rose and a question mark. The girl looked on with astonishment and pointed north. Jack left a smiley to let her know he would look into it and left.  
The girls gaze followed the figure that had appeared out of nowhere. As soon as she had seen the frost forming her thoughts had gone to the story her mother told her a few days ago. Of the village with the eternal smiles and their source of laughter, and how this boy, when his time as human was over had not been done bringing fun to others and thus he became a winter spirit. Jack Frost.  
He was the one to answer her prayer.  
Jack and Safia flew north while Safia tried to find the girl's father.  
"I found him. His car is broken and he can't get out because there are wolves nearby." Jack nodded.  
They landed next to the vehicle. The man looked exhausted and hungry but mainly scared.  
Jack pondered for a bit and then heard a growl. Animals might not see him, after all an animal couldn't really believe in anything, but they felt his presence.  
"Okay, I don't suppose there's any animal spirit around… wait, what am I saying? I don't need a spirit.  
Flake, Blizzard! Come here boys!" He whistled for the two winter sprites and only moments later they appeared. Animals were able to see and understand their sprite counterparts. Not only that but they were aware of the fact that they couldn't win from them in a fight.  
"You guys wouldn't happen to know how to reason with these fellows over here would you?" Flake and Blizzard looked at the pack and started growling something towards them. The hungry pack leader wasn't pleased but didn't attack. Flake and Blizzard looked saddened.  
"Something wrong?" Jack asked. Flake told Jack that this man was the first prey in a long time. This of course formed a problem. Jack really needed this man to get home safe but he couldn't let these wolves starve to death either. Then he had an idea. He took a look inside the trunk and indeed the man appeared to have been hunting and he had quite a catch. Neatly packed so the wolves wouldn't smell it. He had probably forgotten about it, or didn't dare to get out of his car to give it to them. So Jack only had to open the back and let the wolves know that there was a whole dear and two boars right there for them to enjoy. He told Flake what was inside while he froze the lock of the trunk so it broke. The trunk flew open and the wolves, excited for this catch, jumped on it together. A few minutes later the pack and the game was no were to be found.  
"Thanks guys," Jack said while giving them both a good scratch before sending them back to whatever mischief they had been up to before he had called them.  
The man was of course shocked, Jack gave him a minute to realize that he wasn't going to be eaten while he checked if he could do something about the car… It seemed like he was stuck in the mud and snow. Okay he'd just have to clear the snow, away, ask Wess to calm his currents around here down until the man had gotten out of the mud and then all would be good.  
And yes, still full of adrenaline and without the wind bothering him it took the man only minutes to get his car free and get back on the road. Jack followed him home to make sure he got there safe now. Ten minutes later he arrived at the farm.  
"Daddy! You're here! Mommy I told you he would come!" The little girl was still in her PJ's, running in her slippers towards her father who momentarily forgot about his hunger, thirst and fatigue. Just happy to hold his daughter again. "Oh, Oliver! Where have you been?" They entered the house.  
Jack would've loved to hang around but he had a job to do. He waved to the girl that had stayed a minute in the doorframe to look at him. He waved and winked.  
"Thank you!" she shouted at him. He bowed and then left.

* * *

"Well that is one Christmas we saved. Or two, those wolves will be happy with their Christmas meal. I'm really glad I have you with me Safia. Thanks." Jack spoke to Safia trough his mind. It was something they had found they could do about one and a half century ago.  
"I'm glad I can help. It's nice to see you so spontaneous. Having your memories back and having some friends seems to be good for you." Jack nodded at her observation.  
"It's nice to know where I came from. You're not sad about that thought, are you?" Safia chuckled. Typically Jack. "No. I never thought you just came out of thin air. But I was forced not to tell you anything about it. The wind isn't to tame, but some ancient forces can, if they really want to, order us to do or not to do certain things. When I first heard you laugh I realized who you were, and when I saw that you did not recognize your own village I wanted to find a way to tell you but the moon ordered me not to reveal your identity. You would find out when you were supposed to. I often tried to tell you but I couldn't. I hope you can forgive me." Safia felt ashamed about her weakness.  
"Hey, it's alright. It wasn't your fault. Thought I do wonder why MIM was death set on keeping me in the dark about my past." Safia didn't know the answer to that.  
Not much later they came across a bunch of bullies cornering a boy in an ally and they focused on their task at hand. At the end of the night they felt pretty satisfied. They had helped at least 50 children have a good Christmas. At the end of the night they settled in Burges. Jack was planning on adding a bit of his own touch to the towns decorations. By morning the whole town was sparkling in his frosty decorations. When the sun came up he decided to wake the Bennett kids himself.

* * *

He smiled when he saw that Nicky, Sophie and Jamie were all sleeping in Jamie's room. Nicky probably wanted to meet Santa too. How sweet. Jack wondered if he had allowed them to. He dove trough the chimney and hurried to Jamie's room. Above Nicky's head he saw snowflakes, Jamie had snowflakes and candy canes, Sophie was dreaming about bunny's and also snowflakes. Well, they would certainly be happy to see that they got a white Christmas.  
"Hey sleepyheads," he whispered sending each of them a little snowflake to land on their nose. Don't laugh, it's just very effective.  
"Huh, wha?" Nicky was the first one to wake up. Then Jamie and after an extra nudge form her brother Sophie woke up to.  
"Merry Christmas. Lots of presents, a snow day. Seems like you'll have a lot of fun." Only then did Jack notice that the three of them were staring at him weirdly.  
"What's wrong? Did you fall asleep before North got here or something?" Jack joked.  
"Nicky said something… and then my dad told me about Emma Overland and her brother." Jack nodded, he knew that already thanks to North's gift. But why would that change anything between them? Or about Christmas morning?  
"Yeah, and?" Jamie looked astonished. Sophie's eyes were watery and she crawled on Jacks lap.  
"Jack?" Sophie's voice was soft and full of tears.  
"Yes, Sophie? What's wrong?" He was a bit worried. It was hard to predict how kids took certain things. Sometimes they dealt with it better than adults and other times not. "You big brother, like Jamie?" Jack nodded.  
"Why did you die? Will Jamie die too?" Jack wasn't sure how she had come to that conclusion.  
"I was six when Emma, my little sister, was born. And ever since the first time I held her I knew that I would to anything to see her smile and to keep her safe. And I did, even when I was reborn and had no memory of who I used to be I felt like connected to all my old friends and to my family. So I tried my best to make this town happy again. And I never stopped. Burges will always be special to me and no child will ever die here again if I can help it. Jamie won't have to die for you like I did for my sister. Okay?" Sophie seemed to feel much better. "Now what is it with you Jamie?" The 9 year old boy looked down a bit shy. "What's wrong?" Nicky answered. "I think he's a little star struck. He already looked up to you due to your adventure last year and now he knows that you really would be prepared to die for someone you care about…" Oh? "Jamie is that true?" Jamie blushed and nodded. "Well as flattered as I am, that's ridiculous. I didn't know I would die at the time. My last thought before feeling the ice disappear underneath me was 'I did it! Wait until Clara and Thomas hear about this.' I thought I could still make it safely to the other side of the lake, return home, get some tea and tell the story at the next bonfire, a bit cooler and with a fairy princes and maybe a peasant boy that would be granted some cool power in exchange for his courage." It was true, he had been so focused on saving his sister and then so happy that he did that he hadn't thought for a moment that he could take her place. If he had thought of it he would've still done it.  
"Jamie, what made you stand up to the Boogieman last year?" he asked.  
"I saw you and the other guardians ready to protect us even if Pitch was so much stronger. I realized that you all had been there for me my entire life, I needed to help somehow." Jack nodded.  
"You needed to protect something important to you. It's the same thing Jamie. You are as much of a hero as I am." Jamie smiled, realizing that what Jack said was true. He hadn't seen it like that at the time, but perhaps that was how real heroes are. They don't think about being a hero. They think about doing what is right. As Jamie pondered over this three snowflakes drifted through the room right towards the Bennett kids. Moments later they burst out in giggles and started a pillow fight until their parents arrived.  
"See, and you were worried that the story would ruin Christmas," Mr. Bennett whispered to his wife.  
"Alright you three, time for presents!" he said out loud, the kids immediately rushed downstairs where Nicky's parents were preparing breakfast.  
"And did you catch Santa?" Nicky's mother asked.  
"We didn't need to catch him. He came to say hi. We told you Jack Frost asked him." Jamie clarified. The woman chuckled "That's right. Jack Frost, the hero from hero lake."  
"Hero lake? What is she talking about?" Jack asked the kids.  
"It's weird that we never thought about the name of the lake in the park until today. I mean really I had heard people call it Hero Lake or Overland Mere before but never wondered why!" Jamie said, secretly answering Jacks question. "Jack protects us right daddy?" Sophie said. Seems like she needed to hear from her father that everything would be fine. Mr. Overland chuckled.  
"Of course sweets. I remember one time when I was a kid I hadn't heard the story yet, but I was playing near Hero Lake and suddenly a bully pushed me onto the ice I slid straight to the middle and froze. I already imagined how the ice would crack and everything but when I looked down I noticed that the ice got thicker were I stood. I was amazed. And I could've sworn I heard an echo like voice saying 'let's play hopscotch'." Jack looked to where wind was, she wasn't solid but he could see her more or less. She was looking away pretending like she didn't hear what was said. Jack remembered when Fabian, Jamies dad, had been 8 and stood where Emma had years ago. He had not really said that they should play hopscotch, just that he had to follow him and hop over to the edge of the lake.  
"I felt myself nod, took a deep breath and jumped as far as I could. Then I heard someone say 'Excellent. One more' " Jack looked up that was something he had said that.  
"I did it again, starting to believe that someone was there. I recalled my mother's words 'Believing is seeing Fabian, never forget that.' I had now reached the edge and very faintly I could see something there, or someone. But before I could really look at it I felt my mom pulling me into a hug, blocking my view, and when I turned back he was gone. I told my mother what had happened and she said that it must've been the hero of hero lake. And she told me the story like I told it to you yesterday… But enough about that. It's Christmas so there are presents."  
Jack hung around a bit more and when the Bennett's started on their breakfast he left. There was still some time to kill until he was expected back at the pole to change into something more formal (yuck) and help set everything up.

 **I hope you guys liked it, link to picture of Winds locket on my profile. Also I've decided to call Wind by her human name whenever she and Jack are alone or having a telepathic conversation. Questions, thoughts or suggestions are welcome!**


	6. 5) the guests arive

**Okay just a heads up I know it hasn't been to long but I can't promise that next chapter will follow as quick. Inspiration doesn't always come to me when i have time for her if you get what i mean. Anny way please give me yuoor thoughts on this one it would really help me out. Something is naging me about my writing and i want to have it out of thew way before the storry really starts going...soon.**

 **5) The guests are here  
Hey everyone. Hope you liked last chapter!  
Before anyone *Jamie appears* Hey Jamie? How did you get here?  
Jamie: I don't know.  
Me: do you want to do the disclaimer?  
Jamie: Oh? Really? Sure! Sounds cool. So Ur Fan doesn't own 'Rise of the guardians' or the 'guardians of childhood'. Like her name implies she's just a fan of the series who wants to try some stuff out with the known and unknown characters. Did I do it right?  
Me: Perfect now before we get into the story let me acknowledge some reviews  
GUEST: I'm glad that my last chapter was able to move you like that. I hope you managed to explain it to your sister and eased her mind. I'm a big sister myself and I can imagine that if one of my siblings would suddenly start crying while at their laptop I would be pretty worried too. Yes it would be fun if Jack would have to deal with his pixie-fangirls messing with his clothes, but I think he has enough to deal with as it is. Stage fright, mother natures over motherly ways, certain female spirits that fancy him all that good stuff.  
** **.Day77: The links still don't work but I did put the URL's up so you just have to copy paste them. Thanks for letting me know.  
Alright warning for this chapter (0_0)**

Jack groaned as he looked at the clothes that lay before him. None of them were his stile at all.  
Why did he have to get dressed like this? Right, first impressions.  
Nobody seemed to realize that it was 300 years too late for that but oh well.  
He eventually decided one a white blouse and a black prince vest, no ties or bows for him thank you very much. He combined that with straight black jeans. Looks classy but didn't make him feel snobbish. Right, now the dreaded shoes. When he was human he had avoided wearing shoes when not necessary to make them last longer. Now the very idea was weird to him. But there was no way he could avoid it. He picked a pair of white socks, and while he was tempted to wear the black sneakers he figured that if he wore shoes then he might as well wear the right shoes.  
So he picked the black saddles instead. He felt about as comfortable in this as he did in his prince attire. To make it worse that was how he was supposed to act at least until he had been officially introduced to enough people. Ugh, he didn't mind being polite but tonight it would feel forced. There were bound to be people he wouldn't want to talk to but he'd have to be on his best behavior regardless. He might be a very guarded person but that didn't mean he was fake.  
He looked in the mirror. "Hm, well mom would be happy if she'd see me now." He chuckled at the thought. Emma would probably laugh at his outfit, but mom would gush over how grown up he looked, and dad would pat him on the back and say something funny about how he should give his friends a chance to get the girls attention. Thomas would probably act as if he didn't recognize him and Clara would be right there with mom, approving of how he looked.  
Man how he wished he'd have at least one of them there.

* * *

"You look great." Safia appeared behind him. She was wearing a beautiful light blue, strapless, godet dress. Her hair was done half up half down. Two braids were worked through her hair from either side of her face to the back and then all the way down. Bunny's gift secure in her hair, looking a lovely blue. To Jacks surprise she had insisted she would go with him, really go with him this year.  
It seemed that now she had started with showing herself there was no stopping her.  
"Now coming from you that's a compliment. You look stunning. I better keep an eye on you tonight." Safia rolled her eyes at him. "How are you feeling?" She had that look that dared him to lie to her. But he knew better than to even consider it.  
"Like I need a hug," he admitted. Safia smiled at him, walked over and wrapped him tightly in her arms. He held her tight and rested his chin on top of her head.  
"I'll probably make a mess…" he mused. Safia pulled back and looked him sternly in the eyes.  
"Really? Are you still allowing the words of that vile man to even cross your mind?" She felt very strongly about her friends feelings and as you already know she doesn't take kindly to whoever hurt them. "Pitch didn't come up with that Safia. I already thought that long before-" but that was as far as he got, Safia's stare made it so he didn't dare to continue.  
"You and I both know that in the past 315 years, yes I am including your human years Jackson Thadeus,"  
Oh no, he was an Overland Frost removed from totally screwed.  
"You did more good than bad. Sometimes you couldn't fix things, but it isn't your job to fix everything. You did what you could to help everyone around you. Do I have to give you a list of the lives you've changed for the better in the past decade? I can assure you it's a long one as opposed to perhaps a hand full of people who didn't respond well to your interference." Jack took a step back. Every time he was surprised by the force of Safia's voice. It really didn't fit with her small frame.  
He was glad she was here to say the things he needed to hear. She was very passionate in it but he loved that about her. And like she was there for him he was there for her. An hour ago the roles had been reversed and he was the one soothing her nerves.  
"Now stop being a total idiot and join the other guardians so you all can talk trough tonight's plans." He smiled and offered his arm.  
"Sure if the lady would be so kind to accompany me?" Safia giggled and took his arm. They walked towards the salon where the others would be waiting.  
"You really do look good. The pixies would love it." Jack snickered, knowing she was right.  
"I just don't know what to do with my staff. Ever since I picked it up on the lake I have only let go of it one time, and that was awful. But I can't dance holding it, I thought of keeping it on my back but it's to long for that." Safia stopped and turned towards him.  
"I think I might be able to do something…" She held her hand in front of herself palms up and in them appeared a sheath. "No one will see it, so you don't have to worry if it's good for that first impression they want you to make. And don't worry about the size, your staff will fit just fine." He didn't doubt for a moment that this was the truth. It was perfect. It would give him a secure feeling but not be in the way while he danced. They started walking again and Jack flung the Sheath over his shoulders. "Where did you get this?" Jack had seen Safia dematerialize objects and making them reappear at some other location before, but she had to get it from somewhere, and the whole 'bigger than it seems' thing was new as well. Not to mention the selective invisibility charm.  
"I contacted a fellow nature spirit." She simply said. "But I thought that the wind was the only one of the original nature spirits that survived?" Safia blushed and looked at Jack a bit apologetic.  
"It was mother nature wasn't it?" He guessed. "I said she should think of it as her Christmas present to you, you know she'll bother you about it until Eastern if you don't let her give you something. So for this one time…" Jack sighed. "It's alright. No need to apologize. You're probably right. Just because she gave me a present doesn't mean I have to start calling her 'mom'." Safia smiled relieved that he took it so well. Jack didn't dislike MN, but I told you already that the woman had this thing where she considered herself Jacks mother and Jack just wasn't okay with that  
They arrived at the salon. Jack took a deep breath. How would the others react to his clothes? One way to find out. He took a calming breath and entered the room.

* * *

"Hey guys, so what do you think?" His voice was surprisingly confident, and only then did he realize that Wind's compliments really had calmed his nerves.  
"Oh, Jack! You look fantastic! And Wind you look simply magnificent. Look at the two of you!" Tooth was fluttering all over the two of them in her evening gown. Jack didn't know how she had done it. It looked like certain feathers just had grown larger to make her dress.  
Wind leaned a bit more into Jack blushing like crazy.  
"Ha, both look very nice. Will make for splendid entry." North stayed in his chair thankfuly.  
"Holy dooley! Frosty, didn't know ya could clean up so well. Looking like spunk! With shoes no less. And ya sheila looks grouse! Ha, going to be tha talk of tha party you two." Bunny was teasing them and loving every minute of it. Sandy smiled at them and held his thumbs up in approval.  
"Thanks guys," Jack said as he tried to think of something to redirect the attention.  
"Bunny, where's Snowdrop?" He pointed his staff to Bunny's empty shoulder.  
"Ah, I didn't want her there with all those spirits. That bloke Peter might bring friends and ya know how those get." Jack nodded. Peters guests usually got a bit carried away. He liked Peter, bu he was a bit nervous abutout his guests. He had seen how those kids got when introduced to the guardians. And now also him.  
"So, anything I should know before you send me off to the lions' den?" he asked as he let himself fall into a couch with Wind next to him. "Just a heads up anything like your first attempt to make me a guardian and I'm out of here." Jack said this whit his usual easy going attitude, but something in his eyes or perhaps something about Wind that told them that the guardian of fun was being serious.  
"Nah, North learned his lesson fellah. Don't ya worry. Right?" Bunny looked at North suspiciously almost expecting to see him tell the elves to cancel the fanfare. He may be centuries old but also very naïve and clueless at times.  
"Course I did! Is nice and simple. We welcome guests, tell them was tuff year but we managed thanks to help from new guardian. Then we proudly present guardian of fun. You come in and we mingle a bit. Good, dah?" North looked around to see if the others agreed, they did. Jack smiled, it was as modest as it could be.  
"When do the guests arrive?" Wind asked.  
"Well as you know we are in a time bubble right now." It was Tooth who started to explain.  
"It's been agreed upon that one should leave for the party between one hour before and one hour after midnight, Greenwich time. Well those who ask passage exact one hour before midnight will arrive the moment we open the doors. From there people who ask passage ten minutes later will arrive ten minutes later and so on. At one in the morning, Greenwich time, all spirits should have asked passage and that's when from earths point of view all spirits suddenly reappear all over the world. We could in theory choose to sit here for a few more hours or even days before opening the doors and no one would notice." Now you guys reading this will probably realize that this means that there are two hours a year in which the good spirits slowly 'disappear'. If you are about to freak out over evil spirits taking over, let me ease your mind. The ancient ones leave at the very last moment which means they'll be back before you can blink. And all of the guardians have someone to watch over their task while they are gone. Thought you might want to know that.  
So back to our friends in the salon.  
"Kay, well I suppose we should open those doors then, wait two hours and then introduce me." Jack said already getting up and walking to the fireplace.  
He was supposed to wait here until it was time.

* * *

"Actually… I wanted to ask something before we did… if that's alright?" Tooth glanced between Jack and Wind. They both nodded. They had expected that the guardians would sooner or later start wondering about certain aspects of their past.  
"Well, ever since we met you we saw how close you and Jack are. But well, while I can hardly imagine the two of you apart now, you two weren't always together were you? What I am trying to say is how did you two meet and what did you do before meeting each other." Tooth was clearly nervous, fearing that she was crossing a line. To her relieve Jack nor Wind seemed upset about it.  
"Well as a matter of fact, Wind and I have been together ever since I became an immortal. So for me there was no before that except for my human life." Jack wrapped an arm around Winds shoulder and pulled her a little closer smiling happily. When he released her again Wind gave him a playful blow messing with his hair.  
"As for me… you already know that I am much older than Jack. And it is a long story, but if you feel up to it I don't mind telling you." The guardians made themselves comfortable, indicating that they'd love to hear it. Wind had cleared this with her brothers and sister on Christmas. They had been fine with it. While they still didn't feel like appearing for anyone they didn't mind if their history was revealed.  
"Okay. This story actually starts before I can really remember. You may have heard people say that in the beginning there was nothing. And that is right. There was nothing. Except, somewhere in that vast emptiness a small spark of something.  
From this spark came the universe and the earth.  
It took thousands of years before the spark created something new. It created his own awareness.  
It watched as the creatures on planet earth just did what they did without awareness.  
Even the pure nature spirits just did without knowing they did.  
Fire raged, water flooded, earth shook and wind blew. The spark wanted to teach the spirits at least to be aware of themselves, but it didn't work. Because they weren't aware of others any more than they were aware of themselves.  
I don't remember well what happened during those times. Only vague images of the creatures and landscapes that existed then and a faint feeling of other living things around me. But I just kept going, not caring where or why. Perhaps a little like how a baby doesn't know why it smiles or cries at first.  
The first sharp memory I have is of one of the first humans trying to figure out a way to catch a fish. This was something so different from what I was used to, a creature that thought before doing, that I had to stop and look. And by doing that I realized that I could stop and look. And that I could choose to go on and how fast and where. I became aware of myself.  
And then I saw that there were others like me, in the river, the sky and in the mountains, just everywhere. Some had also noticed these creatures that thought before doing and by that learned that they could do the same.  
Not much later I met the spark, he was so happy that someone was aware of him.  
I told him what it was that caused me to be aware and he was amazed. He had tried so many things and now it appeared that this new type of creatures he hadn't even noticed had become aware by themselves and caused nature to be aware of itself as well. He celebrated and swore to find ways to protect this species as a reward for their help. Even if they hadn't done it on purpose.  
I found the spark so strange that I wanted to know about him. I wanted to know what he was and wondering that caused a new question to come to me. What was I?  
The spark saw my confusion and asked what was bothering me. I told him of my troubles…"  
Wind suddenly realized that none of the guardians would know how they talked back then.  
"At the time we didn't use language, we communicated through our minds for we had not yet found our voice. So I guess I should say that I showed him what I was thinking about. He understood that with being self-aware and having others who were different but the same, new questions had to be asked. How did we make a difference between him and me and them?  
He thought about it and then introduced himself as the light in the dark, nightlight."  
The guardians (except Jack) gasped. Nightlight? The Nightlight?  
"Yes that one." Wind was a little amused. It looked so funny.  
"Anyway then we came to who I was. I can't explain how we called me back then and my current name came much later but you get the picture. Well as time went on more and more of the pure nature spirits became aware of themselves and good times were coming.  
I won't bore you with the details, but the extremely good natured humans were accepted into the golden kingdom. You all know most about what happened there, what their purpose was and how it came to an end. This all had nothing to do with the pure nature spirits. We didn't get involved. Except that we could sense when a particular special human was born.  
Sometimes they became spirits sometimes they lived their lives in greatness and chose to pas trough to something beyond the golden kingdom.  
We just lived our eternal lives… But we didn't notice that something horrible was happening.  
We were losing ourselves again. The mountains were the first to fall silent. They weren't as lively as the rest of us and didn't have many creatures (human or otherwise) around to keep them aware. They forgot. Lost themselves in themselves. And it went on with sees, fields, valleys and many more. Humans noticed it of course they felt how their bond with nature got weaker and weaker.  
The first two generations worried about this but after that they just assumed that they had gotten too occupied with other things to still listen to natures songs.  
They could still read it but not as clear as they used to. So they did what humans do best.  
They think their way out of the problem. So instead of following the call of nature to the best areas to hunt and shelter for the weather at that time of the year, they picked an area where they could build a shelter. And they captured animals and used them to help grow their own food… You know where that story goes.  
Well at this point in time I was one of the few pure nature spirits still 'alive' I suppose you could call it, along with a few others but these were also fading, not knowing the difference anymore between themselves and the creatures living in or around them. It scared me but I didn't know what caused this, so I didn't know how to stop myself from fading.  
I called out to Nightlight not knowing what else to do. I told him of the predicament we were in.  
He consulted with MIM who was still new to his task. It was around that time that the golden kingdom fell and MIM suggested that the human spirits returned to earth to fulfill their calling there. And he assigned a young female spirit that was born in the golden kingdom to watch over nature.  
I was insulted. I ask for help and his answer is to try and bind me? I didn't think so.  
Not much later, I was the only pure nature spirit left. Mother Nature tried to get me to listen to her, but I refused she had already started to assign new human spirits to the tasks my kind used to fulfill. In my eyes she was enslaving whatever was left of them." The guardians didn't know how to react to that. They understood why Wind would feel that way, but then how had she come to become such close friends with a human nature spirit? And why did she have a human form?  
"Of course my stubbornness didn't really help my situation. But I refused to give in and Mother Nature wasn't so determined to have me in her care to command me, which she could. In the end Nightlight who is the spark that created both of us had agreed with MIM to give her a position of authority over all that deals with nature, meaning that she can order me if she wants.  
At the time I saw it as a sign that she didn't want to keep me that badly. After all if I faded she could pick a nice obedient human spirit in my place. One could say I was behaving like a teenager."  
Wind and Jack shared a look and chuckled at the understatement.  
"I found ways to remind myself of who I was.  
I raced with horses, flew with birds, I even joined the dolphins on their escapades.  
But I kept getting weaker and started blaming the humans for everything. And right when I thought I should cause mass destruction I felt something. A kite was using my currents to fly. I was curious to it, and investigated. It were little children playing and laughing. They loved me, they didn't want me to get harmed. I realized that they weren't aware of me like I used to be unaware of myself. How could one want to harm something they didn't know could be harmed?  
I played with them and enjoyed it. It gave me a new sense of self and that was perfect  
Other things came. Humans wanted to fly and I tried to help them, not all their attempts were successful thought. Mother Nature came to me and said that I seemed more there than last time and asked how this could be. I told her, using language now, what happened and she was delighted.  
I realized that she only did what she thought helped. She wasn't always right but she meant well. Things went much better for me. And I noticed that when I ran with horses I could feel myself run like one, when I flew with birds I flew like one, and if I played with children I felt like one. I felt arms and legs and a head an everything. It would seem that when I played with a certain species I bathed in their energy and took their general form. This was an interesting observation.  
Later I noticed that I could make any sound that has traveled on my currents.  
These observations made me even stronger. But that couldn't last either."  
The guardians that hadn't heard this story before looked a bit worried by this statement. It was like they had forgotten that Wind was still in front of them alive, aware and well.  
"After a while I started to notice that I forgot the distinction between myself and the creatures I was playing with. Again I was at a loss how to stop this. Knowing it happened didn't help. I would try to stop it and realize that I had been traveling for weeks not being aware of it. Not knowing what happened the day before or even that morning.  
Now, we are approaching the day I met Jack. Of course I noticed Jack when he was born, like only I still noticed newborns with greatness in their future. I pointed him out to MIM so he knew to keep an eye on him and wondered briefly who would do that if I forgot myself.  
Then it was suddenly years later and I saw Jack again, now much older but definitely the same human I had noticed years earlier, we ran through a field together for a bit before I continued my journey. But I made sure to hold on to his laugh. I liked it.  
Again years later I saw him as Jack Frost running over a lake in delight. His laugh was so contagious that I had to join him in his game. After Jack realized that no one could see him and MIM had used his authority over me to forbid me from telling him who he was I dropped him of under a tree."  
She tenderly touched her locket.  
"I wanted to get him to smile again. The troubled expression he wore just didn't seem right. I noticed again that my… center of awareness had a humanoid form and decided to give him a hug. Not sure if he'd be aware of me. But he was. 'Huh? Who is doing that? Somebody there?' he asked. I said-"  
" 'I am wind little one. Who are you?'" Jack piped in smiling at her. "I was a bit scared but mainly comforted by her soft voice." Wind grinned back.  
"You said 'My name is Jack Frost. Why can't I see you?' You were so polite and afraid to insult me. I said: 'I am wind I can't be seen or caught but I can be felt and heard.' And I immediately proved my point by hugging you again. You responded and we both felt comforted by it. I wondered about how I would ever be able to leave you when you were so confused and alone, then I realized I didn't have to. I was myself and I could choose my path. No one would tell me differently. So I stayed, and in staying and talking with you every day I kept aware of who I was. And the rest is history."  
The guardians all sat in awe. This explained why Wind was the way she was. Her aversion for authority, her protectiveness of Jack, the reason why tooth didn't find her Teeth even her appearance, mostly.  
"Why did you choose to be a girl thought?" Bunny asked.  
"I have never chosen, but I suppose that my character relates more to a female form than a male form. By example: ever heard of the expression 'Hell brought no furry as a woman scorned?' well you saw me angry so…" Bunny nodded that indeed made a lot of sense.  
"Now any other questions?"* No one said anything.  
"Good, now shall we let the guests in?"

 ***okay so that was it but if you have questions about Winds past ask them and I'll answer them next chap, promise!  
Also as always I appreciate your thoughts, questions and suggestions in general.**


	7. 6)a new start

**Okay so yes this is a super short chapter and you are probably not happy with it. Sorry for that, next should be longer. Like, insanely long!  
I hope you like it and as always I don't own ROTG or GOC!  
Oh and GUEST: She locked up your computer? A bit overprotective there. Tell you what, get her hooked on fanfiction, then she'll never dream of making you go without it again. I'm not going to lie, if what Jack said to Jamie tore you up… Girl you are in trouble. 2 more chaps before we get to the memories and these are sad! Not because Jack had a bad past. No, but there are friends and family, and he'll lose them, and they'll lose him and it's so unfair! I'm crying just thinking about it.  
So really don't read when your sister is near!  
Warning for this chapter (Teaser)**

 **6) new start  
** Jack was batting trough the room. Thirty more minutes before his official introduction.  
He was nervous like never before.  
"Jack calm down!" Safia appeared in front of him and physically forced him to stop.  
"It will be fine. Since when are you such a worrywart? The Jack I've known the past three hundred and fifteen years wouldn't allow his nerves to get the best of him. He would do something fun with all that energy." Jack frowned. He didn't know how Safia wasn't nervous at all. It was a big night for her too.  
But instead of freaking out like he was, she just looked at him patiently. It reminded Jack that she was in fact much, much older than him despite her young appearance.  
"Want me to show you what's going on? Then you can start planning already." Maybe planning pranks would be a good way to distract himself. But was it so wise to prank people now? He saw Safia's glare and realized that she knew exactly what he was thinking about. He smiled sheepishly and nodded.  
She was right. Playing pranks was what he did, and there was no use in trying to hide that part of himself.  
Safia sighed, hoping that after tonight, Jack would go back to his old self. This was just crazy.  
She placed her hands on his temples and send her currents to the ballroom seeing trough them and having Jack see it through her.  
Jack saw the guests gathered, chatting a bit, mostly ignoring the background music just like he thought they would. But they better all have their dancing shoes on because this year everyone would dance. He'd make sure of it.  
Peter was not there yet, which meant that either he almost forgot it was today again, or his guests were a bit insecure and needed some more encouragement.  
The seasons children were here and looking for any sign of him. He smiled, it was nice to know that when he didn't show up people noticed.  
He created a snowflake and send it towards their group so they would know that he was there. When it reached them they seemed relieved.  
Had they noticed something was off last eastern like his sprites had? He knew that only 'the ancient ones' knew of his 'promotion' as Nora had called it, but if the seasons children could feel when something was seriously amiss with one of them…  
But they should've noticed that he got better again, and it wouldn't be the first time he got attacked. Then he realized he hadn't played small pranks outside of his season this year. Maybe that was it. Usually he would do small things that didn't belong in the area, if you ever woke up in fall, summer or spring to find that the rain of last night had frozen on your window, that would be Jacks doing.  
It were small things and because of that Old Man Winter and the other season monarchs and children didn't mind.  
But this year he had done nothing of the sort. Except for some snowing in a small town at the beginning of spring, but he hadn't even kept the lake frozen as far into spring as he usually did.  
So yeah that might make them worry that something was wrong.  
He then noticed something, no someone, moving in the shadows. This person was pale and dressed in all black, keeping far away from anyone else. He decided to deal with that later.  
He looked around some more, took note of who needed to be encouraged to come out of their shell, to get that stick out of their- well, you know, who could do with taking themselves a little less serious, who was having a disagreement that really should be fixed and so on. Before he knew it twenty minutes had passed.  
He was about to let Safia know that he had seen enough when suddenly.

* * *

"Mother Nature, you're early. Whatever for?" North was as surprised as all the other spirits when he saw Mother Nature in her forest green dress 10 minutes before the official start of the party. Jack had a feeling he knew why and so did Safia. "Should I let North know that you don't want to speak to her just yet?" She asked ready to send out a whisper.  
"No, I'm done hiding. I promised myself that it would end tonight." Safia was proud of Jack. He had grown so much as a person over the past year. The guardians may not realize it yet, they couldn't since they hadn't been there like she had been, but he had overcome a lot of his personal battles.  
They turned their attention back to Lady Nature.  
"I think she's here now to talk to me North, isn't that right dear Emily?" What? Who was that?  
Jack didn't remember ever seeing the man (who hadn't been there a second ago) before. It was a friendly looking almost bald man, a bit round and paler than Jack. (I know, I didn't think it was possible either) Safia however knew who he was.  
"Safia… who is that?" Jack was very confused why was everyone so quiet all of the sudden. Even the music had stopped playing.  
"Manny? What… But the moon!" That was Mam In the Moon?  
"Don't worry North, Nightlight is taking over for the last ten minutes, but I knew that Emily would want to speak to me before the party starts, would you mind very much? We'll try to make it quick." North was speechless and so was Jack. He pulled away and walked towards the window. Man In the Moon was here, on the Nox Lumen to talk to Lady Nature. But Jack thought… Well she is among the ancient ones. So he supposed he would have a face to face conversation… But still.  
Suddenly he heard conversation just outside. They were right there. But he shouldn't eavesdrops.  
He caught snippets of their conversation thought as they walked past the salon and towards whatever room they were going to have their real conversation in.  
"Finely… Jack… you owe..." Lady Nature sounded a bit frightening, she was clearly mad.  
And acting as if she was his mother yet again! Can't she take a hint?  
It was even more frustrating now that he could remember his real mother. He feared that she would think that Lady Nature had taken her place if she saw how that woman acted. He took a moment to send a prayer to his family, not sure if they could hear it.  
He couldn't make out exactly what Man In the Moon was saying, he spoke much softer than  
Lady Nature, soothing without trying. Then he heard a door and thought he couldn't hear them he knew Lady Nature was shouting and Man In the Moon was sitting patiently. He didn't know how…  
He had never met him, but something about Man In the Moons behavior reminded him of someone he had known. A man in his village whom he had respected very much. He had that same patient way of taking anyone's anger, justified or not.  
After five minutes he heard someone walking through the hallway and descending the stairs. The steps sounded fairly calm, but not as calm as Man In the Moons so it must've been Lady Nature.  
Then there was a knock on the door. Jack tore his gaze away from the garden outside, meant for those who needed some calm during the night.  
The door opened a bit and someone calmly, almost carefully, looked inside.  
"Mind if I come in for a word?"


	8. 7) a long overdue conversation

**AN: Okay so I promised a crazy long chapter and this isn't exactly crazy long. Only five pages I've done better. First part is finished and it really feels like it is a chapter in itself. There is a lot going on here and don't get me started about the next one so I figured it would be too exhausting to read, not because of the length but because of how busy it is. So now you get the emotional part.  
I'm never writing chapters like the previous again. You guys really didn't seem to like it.  
I won't stall any longer: I don't own a thing except for the plot and OC's.  
Warning: (0_0)**

 **7) A long overdue conversation**

Jack looked at the man, suddenly feeling like a boy who was called to the principal's office while he had no idea why. Nervous, confused and a bit intimidated.  
Wind, now invisible, stood beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder in support. He could pretty much feel her shooting daggers at Man In the Moon.  
"Hello Jack. Good to finally meet you." The voice was so soft and friendly, it was weird that he was still so tense. That voice should have relaxed him.  
"Hi," he said, softly cringing at how his voice sounded. He never wanted to show that type of weakness.  
Moon walked towards a couch and sat down, studying Jack as he did so.  
"I'm sorry that my presence makes you uncomfortable, though I can understand why it would." Jack looked down, feeling ashamed but not knowing why.  
Despite everything he had never hated the moon. He had always been hopeful that one day he would get his answers. After all his first memory was the moon helping him, releasing him from the darkness.  
No matter what he told himself he had always believed that the moon was good, and he couldn't hate someone that was good.  
But why did he feel now as if he had done something unspeakable in his anger? Why was he shy and ashamed? Why couldn't he look that man in the eyes?  
"It is okay Jack. I can't say how surprised I am that you never came to hate me.  
You disliked me at times, were angry –and rightfully so- when I gave you nothing but silence. But you never truly hated me. You kept turning to me in hopes of receiving guidance even if you had no reason to think I would give it to you.  
And that is why I am here now. To give you the answers to the questions that still plague your mind, and to receive some yelling, if not from you then from your loyal friend. Which shall we do first?" Jack definitely wanted answers first, Wind knew that and so she kept her lips shut tightly.

* * *

"I get now why you chose me, why I'm here and who I am. But… why now…? Why did you take away my memories in the first place?  
It would've been so much easier to do my job, to become a guardian if I had them. And please don't say it was because I should learn on my own.  
If I had my memories from the beginning I could've said a proper goodbye to Emma and my parents, my friends heck the whole village!  
Instead I just… stood by as their lives went on. As they grieved over ME, not truly understanding their pain, unable to really help.  
It hurts me to know that I let them down." Jack stopped because he knew that if he did continue he would cry and he could not cry.  
Besides he had started to raise his voice and his mother would not have approved of him doing that towards someone like the Moon.  
"I understand that this was a painful revelation once you had time to really think about it after the battle." Moon was looking at his shoes very concentrated, wondering how he should explain himself. Suddenly he looked up, staring straight into Jacks eyes, grey to blue.  
"Jack do you know what happens to the brain when it's exposed to a sudden drop in temperature like when you fall into a frozen lake?"  
Jack pondered that for a minute. He has spent some of his time educating himself. While he preferred to have fun he also found joy in challenging himself intellectually. And if he remembered correctly from the medicine classes he had followed, sudden exposure to extreme cold causes great trauma to the brain. This can result in several pathologies like motoric and or mental impairment but also selective or even complete amnesia.  
"A lot can happen, but I suppose you refer to complete amnesia?" Moon nodded with a look of intense sadnes.  
"Yes, say that by some miracle you were saved from that lake and survived hypothermia, you would've woken up with your entire memory wiped clean.  
You probably would've known how to speak English and how to perform certain activities, like reading and writing. But you would've woken up in a house you didn't recognize, with people you had never seen before, with a face you didn't know. Of course you would've had a whole community behind you. Everyone would've done what they could to make sure you recovered. Now your logical next question would be, why didn't I return your memory when I took you out of the lake  
Well Jack, I'm still not sure if it was the best thing to do. But tell me this, what do you think would've happened if you woke up from the lake, remembering what happened?" Jack thought about it.  
"I would've gone home before I even noticed that I had powers. I would've wanted to tell Emma that I was okay. I'd want to be with my family." Moon nodded again.  
"But they wouldn't have seen you. Maybe Emma, but your parents would have thought she had lost her mind. It would have been too painful. And even if you had managed to get a handle on your powers enough to prove to everyone in your village that you were still alive, you couldn't possibly live your old life.  
It would've been torture. Watching everyone you love grow old and die while you are young forever.  
This way you'd help them any way you could because that is who you are and at the same time get used to your life as a spirit.  
Of course I don't know for sure if that is how it would've went, but I wasn't willing to risk it." Jack nodded. "But why 300 years?"  
Moon sighed. "I had no idea when the right time would be to reveal your past. So I waited until you were ready. You have lived long enough that people never feel like those we care about are ready to handle something. I now realize that you were ready ages ago of course, but still I think you understand it better by discovering it when you did then if I had just answered one of your pleas a hundred years ago.  
Believe me I have been close to asking Tooth to activate your memory box more times than I can count. I hope you can forgive me my silence Jack, you might not like it but truth is that I do feel about you like a son, or perhaps a grandson would be a more appropriate term." Jack smiled at Moon. He appreciated that the man took into account that Jack didn't easily accept that someone cared for him. Moon wasn't pushy on the matter, but still let him know that that was how he felt. "Thanks, I appreciate your honesty."  
Moon smiled at the boy. "And Jack, you didn't let anyone down. For now you'll just have to take my word for it, but it is true, they are all so proud of you. As am I. You have grown so much over the years. And you have become a better guardian than I ever dared to dream you'd be. While I never answered I was always watching." Jack began to feel a bit flushed with all this praise.

* * *

Wind, while happy with the answers and apologies still wanted to give MIM a piece of her mind.  
"Wind, I believe you have a few things to say to me?" With that she appeared at Jacks side, a hand on his arm in comfort.  
She squeezed it before letting go and stepped to MIM determined and composed.  
"Indeed. I am not angry that you kept Jacks past a secret from him, or that you made me do the same. I can understand your reasoning."  
Her calm and understanding tone only made Jack do a step aside, it was literally the calm before the storm and he didn't want to be too close when it broke loose. MIM noticed how Jack acted and understood that if Jack felt like he needed to distance himself from Wind whatever came next wouldn't be pretty. And if that wasn't enough of a red flag the fire red flower in her hair was. And indeed a moment later she broke loose.  
"But what were you thinking leaving him alone like that?! Don't say he had me, don't say he had his sprites and other spirits all that time!  
You knew how shy he was, you knew that he was afraid to be rejected! And you knew that I was not enough! You should've made your guardians of Childhood aware that there was a child in desperate need of their guidance! They hardly knew a thing about him! How did you expect them to know that he needed help?  
I bet you that they are not even aware of how young Jack was when he became a spirit! So what excuse do you have for that?  
Don't say you were afraid that Tooth would give him his memories too early! Because you and I both know that you could've told her that it wasn't the right time yet." Jack was impressed with Winds self-control he had never seen her this upset (not even with the guardians) but her powers didn't flare up at all. He had to ask her to help him out with that some time.  
MIM waited for a moment to make sure she had said everything that weighted on her heart. Or at least the part of it that she wanted to share with him.  
"You are absolutely right Wind. But I was afraid that if I did tell the guardians about Jacks situation they would misjudge how to approach him.  
You have seen how they acted when he was brought to the pole the first time as a future guardian. Imagine how it would've been if they had first met him as a child they had to care for? I thought that if Jack found them on his own terms and asked them for the help he needed it would be healthier. That didn't work out well. Except for Sandy they were all too caught up in their work to really stop and talk. And when they did have time it wasn't in a healthy setting for Jack.  
This proved to me even more that they were in need for a new guardian. I hope my answer is somewhat satisfactory?" Wind nodded, she really needed to learn how to stay angry. It was simply not fair that she finally had the chance to yell at everyone who frustrated her and she didn't even get to enjoy it.  
"Now, before we join the festivities it seems an old friend of yours wants to say hello." And with that a young boy appeared next to MIM.

* * *

He looked a little like Jack, and while MIM seemed to reflect the light in the room this boy seemed to be the source of his own glow.  
And his very presence seemed to anger Wind more than anything else.  
"YOU! How dare you come here?! And in this form no less! Do you think that imitating him will save you from my anger?!" Jack recognized the hidden pain in Winds words and thus knew who this was. It was the only immortal whom she had never came close to forgive.  
He laid his hand on Winds shoulder to get her attention. When she looked at him he pulled her towards him and held her close.  
"I'll take this one," he whispered. She nodded her head against him and started sobbing, pressing her teary eyes in his shoulder. Jack turned to the boy with the attitude of a big brother about to defend his little sister. And on Jack Frost it was just as scary as it had been on Jackson overland.  
"As you can see she is a bit upset with you." Moons eyes widened. While he had seen Jackson Overland acting in a similar manner it was a first for Jack Frost to do so. He had come to expect that the boy would be as shy when meeting Nightlight as he was when introduced to himself and Mother Nature if not more so.  
After all Nightlight was, in essence, the divine being that created the entire universe. But Jack looked like he could care less that he stood in front of the 'God' he had prayed to when he was little. It was quiet a relieve for Moon to see Jack so confident and strong.  
Nightlight wasn't insulted by Jacks tone. He knew how close he was with the Southern Wind and he was grateful towards the boy who had saved the last true spirits's awareness. Despite that, this conversation was something between him and Southern Wind. He attempted to contact her in the old way, but she was not open to him.  
"You have not forgotten how to speak in the old way, so why is it that you won't hear me?" Jacks eyes narrowed. He knew that in this boys eyes Jack was a newborn but that didn't mean he should be ignored.  
"I think that is because she doesn't want to talk to you in the old way. I might not be an expert but it would seem to me that to communicate in that way with someone you have to trust this other person. You have betrayed her trust. Besides why would you want to talk in the old way. Whatever you want to say to her she'll say to me later anyway." If it wasn't clear before, it certainly was now, Jack and the Southern Wind were a package deal.  
Nightlight looked at the young boy in front of him. He had a lot of pain within but that was forgotten when it came to easing the pain of a loved one.  
Nightlight had hoped to be able to talk with the Southern Wind in private, but it would seem that this was not possible.  
Oh well, if MIM could have a decent conversation with the boy while she was near, he supposed he would get through his conversation with Southern Wind without the boy interfering too much.  
"My apologies. Of course. Southern Wind? Why is it that you hate me so, still you forgive all the others?" Jack tenderly looked down to Wind who was whipping her eyes, when he caught hers in his he soundlessly questioned if she felt ready to speak or if he should speak on her behalf. She smiled at him, grateful that she had him with her. Then she took a deep breath.  
Jack understood that she was ready and let her go, thought he still held an arm around her shoulder.  
"You didn't tell me. Have you any idea how it feels to think that a friend whom you thought to be gone forever has returned and then find that you felt the presence of their replacement? Do you know how frightening it was to see that you are exchangeable? To know that if you don't safe yourself no one is going to even think twice about replacing you? You didn't contact me to explain, you didn't even tell Mother Nature about me so she could find me and do the explaining for you. That's how little I mean to you. Only after half of the faded spirits were replaced did I run into mother nature who had no idea who I was and how to talk to me about the situation. Have you any idea how much hurtful things she wouldn't have said if she'd had a clue of who or even what I was? Me and my siblings were absolutely devastated to find that you had betrayed us. Now how dare you appear in the form of my finder?" Jack looked at Nightlight with eyes that seemed ready to freeze him in the spot the entire speech. But that last bit caught him of guard.  
"Your finder? What kind of title is that?" he questioned her, she giggled despite herself.  
"You found me when I had lost myself. And by doing that you also found my siblings." Jack nodded in understanding, still finding it weird but hey, what's normal today is crazy in a decade. So maybe it made more sense in their old language or tradition.  
Nightlight observed the relaxed banter between the two. It was amazing really how they each could bring the best and most positive things out of the other. While he hated to be the one to break such a moment he had to give Southern Wind her answers and his apology, Father time hated it when he had to buy them time.  
"Southern Wind," he said causing her full attention to return to him. She didn't appreciate him still being here. It seemed he had messed up even more than MIM. He had been a fool to just assume that all would fall into place. Just because he had a spirit to look after Nature didn't mean that he didn't have any responsibilities towards the last remaining pure spirits any more.  
"It was a horrible mistake on my part. MIM was only a boy and I just let him jump out of the nest hoping he'd figure out how to fly in time. I shouldn't have blindly followed his idea even if I thought it would work. I know it will take a lot of time before you and the others can forgive me for all this fear and pain you had to endure. But I hope that now you and your siblings can start to heal." Wind nodded. She was no were close to forgiving, but that journey could start now.  
"What about your human form?" she asked.  
"Oh, well I had to pick a look and I like him. So I figured why not? Take care of each other and enjoy the party." and with that both Nightlight and MIM were gone. Jack looked at the clock.  
"How? All of this can't have happened in only five minutes. Can it?" Safia smiled. "Father time."  
And with that all was said. Good thing too because baby tooth came to get them.

 **Please don't hate me and leave me your thoughts.**


	9. 8) Introducing the guardian of fun

**8)Introducing the guardian of fun  
AN: music you have to keep on standby for this chap is 'I won't give up' by Jason Mraz.  
You know what I own and what not.  
To GUEST: Thank you so much for your revieuw I hope you like this chapter as well.  
10 pages of story in this chapter so enjoy.**

Jack was waiting for the end of Norths speech to make his big entrance.  
He was in a spot behind North and above the crowd, where he could see without being seen for the last time. Safia stood in her intangible form beside him. He had suggested to enter the room together, to which she responded with a playful nudge whilst saying:  
"And take away your spotlight? No way. You'll have to deal with it for a few minutes. I'll blow them away with the first dance." At least he wouldn't be the only big thing of the night.  
Nature and Moon sure had their impact. He couldn't imagine that he'd be interesting enough to make everyone forget about that piece of gossip. And he was sure that as long as Safia was with him no one would be able to focus on either of them for too long.  
One could say they were each other's distraction maneuver.  
"Friends I am very glad to see you all here tonight! Every year ve gather to celebrate each other's efforts. And each year brings great joy to me that you all are here. Nature spirits, spirits of moon and spirits of space and time. Ve have all done good job to keep world balanced in our own Vays. Vell done!" The crowd cheered and here and there you could see spirits patting each other on the back or shaking hands. North waited a couple of moments to let the crowd calm down.  
"You may know vas hard year for guardians. But ve made through! Pitch not coming back soon!"  
Jack noticed the figure in the shadows stir uncomfortably while the rest of the crowd sheered, raised their glasses, nodded in approval or showed in another way that they were glad to hear this.  
"Dah, but ve did not defeat him alone! Ve had help from children and new guardian!" Whispers went through the room.  
"Indeed, rumor been around and is right! Proudly introducing" here it comes.  
"Guardian of Fun!" and at this Jack jumped down from his hiding place, landing in a cloud of snowflakes. He stood up, tall and proud. Something had just clicked into place for him.  
He was a guardian, no one could take that away from him. He wouldn't let them.  
Everyone in the room was awed. Most had seen Jack before, some had interacted and some had only seen him pass by. But even those who knew him a bit were baffled. He looked much more powerful than ever before. And who had ever dreamed that Jack Frost could clean up so nicely? And when had that playful but slightly shy boy ever looked like a confident young man? There even were a couple of spirits who shrunk away remembering that they had once attempted to 'show the boy who is boss' they hadn't been a match for him then and they certainly weren't now. They prayed he didn't hold a grudge.  
It was a weird feeling for Jack to have everyone look at him like that. No one seemed mad or confused about Moons choice. "No one can deny it when it's right in front of them. You are a guardian and they can feel it." Wind whispered. Jack felt even stronger now. He had been kind of expecting that someone would deem him unsuitable for the job. He knew who he was now and he wouldn't allow them to make him doubt that ever again, but he had been prepared for some to spirits try. Knowing that they wouldn't gave him some inner peace.

* * *

He smiled at the audience trying to show that he was still the same Jack Frost. He would never want to be intimidating in his role unless absolutely necessary.  
"Jack, you open party vhith first dance?" Jack nodded to North happy that he could postpone the dreaded mingling for a bit.  
"I'd love to." He said as he put away his staff.  
Hushed conversations again. Jack danced? And with whom would he dance?  
A couple of female spirits hoped he'd pick them. I know what you are thinking and in some cases you are right, but most had noticed Jack before, just never gotten the chance to reach him.  
Anyway Jack turned to his right and offered his hand to Wind who had just appeared at his side.  
Everyone gasped. Who was that girl? No one had ever seen her before.  
Jack accompanied her to the middle of the dancefloor while everyone made way for them.  
He bowed to her and then the music started.  
Jack held Wind close during the intermezzo as they softly started to float.  
"Afraid you'll step on my toes?" He joked. Wind would usually roll her eyes and make a jab at him, but due to her nerves she found herself blushing. She knew that she wouldn't step on his toes of course, as did he. She just felt more at ease in the air.  
She was happy with the song Jack had picked for them. It was one of her favorite. It helped to calm her down a bit more, but she couldn't get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of all those eyes on her. Jack could sense that she finally started to feel the nerves. Her flower slowly turning silver confirmed this. To soothe her he started to sing along a bit, so softly that only she could hear.  
"And just like them old stars, I see that you've come so far, to be right where you are. How old is your soul?" She smiled. It was very poetic for a mortal but also very true for them. Jacks soul was older than his three hundred fifteen years, due to certain experiences. And she of course was ancient despite her youthful exterior. And they had both worked hard to be here this night.  
They should shine. She sang with Jack as they promised each other not to give up no matter what else would happen and to love each other through it all. To give each other the room they needed to grow and give their support every step of the way.  
The song was picking up and so did their dance. Their simple waltz turned in something straight from a 'so you think you can dance' final.

* * *

Everyone watched in awe as the two of them moved together in perfect harmony.  
They looked like one being as they moved, doing routines they knew so well that they could very well be reflexes. Hardly breaking eye-contact, Wind seemed comforted by that, as if she was home.  
Among the awed bystanders was Mother Nature. While she was as blown away by the pairs grace as the next person she was also smiling a bit smugly. She was absolutely sure that they would realize now what she had been saying for centuries.  
She leaned a bit towards to the young, dark skinned woman next to her.  
"They look wonderful together don't they?" she mumbled not looking away from the pair.  
"Yes they do." The woman agreed calmly.  
"You are surprisingly serene. You're usually very excited in this kind of situations," Mother Nature observed a bit disappointed. "Whatever do you mean?" The young woman fought her smile. She couldn't help it. Mother Nature was so easily misled in this subject. It was kind of cute.  
"True love of course. You always gush when you see a perfect pair like that." Mother Nature couldn't believe that Cupid of all people would just glance over a wonderful couple like Jack and Wind.  
"Oh, dear. Mother Nature I'm afraid you have misjudged the situation completely." Cupid allowed herself to chuckle now. MN wasn't as amused and turned now fully to the spirit of love.  
"Have I now?" she asked, feeling a little offended.  
"They are no lovers, they are soulmates." Cupid explained glancing for half a moment to Mother Nature. She loved watching soulmates interact and she wouldn't miss a minute of this dance.  
"Yes, like I said. A perfect pair." Mother Nature could not understand what was so funny.  
"Not in the way you mean. Soulmates can be lovers of course, but they don't have to be.  
They share something rare and beautiful. A bond that has a nature that can't be defined.  
I have seen siblings that are soulmates, friends, parent and child, even the odd teacher and pupil. And yes sometimes also lovers. The beauty of this kind of bond is that it doesn't need to grow the same way other bonds do. These two souls belonged together from their very beginning, they meet and all just falls into place.  
Jack and Wind fitted together from the moment they met. There was no need to build trust or establish any bond. It all was there without them having any clue, nor did they ever feel the need to question it. Unless certain people pressured them to do so." Mother Nature suppressed the urge to look down in shame. "They understood each other and cared for each other, and they will continue to do so forever. Of course their friendship grew stronger over the years and they developed it in their own unique way, but it's essence has always been and will always be the same. If they had been destined to be together 'that way' they would've gotten together about three centuries ago. That is how soulmates work." Mother Nature was stunned. She never thought about it like that, but now she couldn't possibly ignore it. Suddenly it was so obvious and she felt a bit ashamed of her pushy behavior. She had just wanted Jack to be happy so badly and when she thought that he had found love she had been delighted, unable to look again and see what was really going on.  
Jack had found love, but not the romantic kind. Perhaps he had found something even better.

* * *

Jack twirled Wind around one last time and ended their dance in a dip.  
The last notes echoed for a few moments in the silent room. Only when he brought Wind back up and bowed did anyone find the courage to applaud after which the whole room erupted in clapping, sheering and whistling. Wind was blushing like crazy but Jack had himself completely under control. He retrieved his staff, nodded to North and the other guardians in greeting when they approached and started to walk to the first of their obligated greetings.  
Mother Nature.  
Everyone who had happened to stand close to her at that time moved away to make room for the Ancient Spirit Protector of Nature and her 'court'.  
Mother Nature's dress was no longer the modest green it had been when she entered. It was covered in leaves of all seasons from warm autumn to fresh summer and of course the delicate spring blossom, winter was represented by a belt of snowflakes and snowdrops. Her black hair was now adorned with a crown of chestnuts, daisies and strawberries.  
"Mother Nature, ve vould like to introduce, Jack Frost guardian of fun." Jack bowed and kissed her hand, causing a veil of his signature frost to grow over her hair.  
"Good evening Lady Nature, you look exquisite tonight." He looked up anticipating the familiar look of disappointment in his refusal to call her 'Mother' Nature. But instead she was beaming at him. "Thank you Jack Frost. You look wonderful as well. Congratulations, you will make a fine guardian." Jack smiled grateful that she didn't make a fuss about it. He gestured towards Wind who was smiling politely, he knew she wasn't entirely comfortable around MN or any nature spirits other than him. But she had made him promise not to go easy on her, not to skip anyone just because of her. She needed to do this.  
So he would do as she asked and be right next to her whenever she needed his support.  
"I'd like you to meet my friend the Southern Wind." It felt weird to talk so formally about her but it was 'protocol' so to speak and neither of them was ready to share her given name yet regardless.  
He noticed how his fellow season's children were trying to subtly get a better look at her.  
He gave each of them a pointed look, to which they all looked away ashamed. They should know better than to stare like that at a newcomer. But they hadn't ever seen Jack so close to someone, and whenever anyone got close to being close he usually tensed up, but now he was completely relaxed. So this girl couldn't possibly be that new. Could she?  
"Southern Wind," Mother Nature smiled to Wind but kept her distance as she knew would be preferred by both Wind and Jack.  
"It is marvelous to see you again. And really see you for that matter. You look stunning." Wind bowed for Mother Nature casting a brief glance at the other seasonal royals. The monarchs of course weren't as surprised, but the children looked like their confusion grew with the minute. The poor souls of course had no idea what was going on.  
She smiled a little, remembering the reaction of the guardians when they found out how old she was and wondered if the seasons children would fare any better.  
"As do you Emily. It's still strange to see you so grown up thought, it seems like only yesterday that you came into this world for the first time." Cue yaws being dropped. But the seasons children were better at keeping their composure somewhat in check and recovering the part they couldn't save in time than the Guardians.

* * *

"Emily, we'd all like to greet Jack and I am sure that he'd like to get through this as fast as possible so he can enjoy the party, isn't that right my boy." Jack smiled gratefully at the man.  
"Old man Winter," he bowed for the king of winter who in turn bowed for him.  
"Jack Frost. You look well my season's child. And are my eyes deceiving me or are you really wearing shoes?" Jack suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. It seemed that he had rubbed off on old man winter over the centuries.  
"Christoph, please leave the boy alone. You should not make him regret doing his best to make a good impression as a guardian. Jack it is good to see you again. It's been way to long, you look very handsome tonight." Jack blushed a little. Inna often reminded him of his mother, their personalities were a lot alike especially in that like his mother Inna managed to both defend him and embarrass him at the same time.  
"Miss Spring," he greeted while bowing for her and kissing her hand. She chuckled charmed by his behavior and nodded respectfully at Wind. Jack turned his attention to Flora who was standing next to Inna. When he made eye contact with her she smiled brightly and approached him.  
"Hello Jack," she greeted him. He smiled and bowed for her.  
"Flora, you look lovely. I see you still insist upon only using blossoms in your hair contrary to Miss Inna?" He smirked before kissing her hand. Flora giggled and twirled around in her halter dress with handkerchief skirt that indeed was a lovely green with no blossoms or pink to be seen except for in her blond hair with pink highlights and blossom adorned headband. Inna was indeed known to wear as many blossoms as she possibly could, once she had her whole dress made out of them. This year her pleat dress was pink with a belt and straps made of blossoms.  
"You know I prefer blossoms on trees where they belong, but I feel like without them no one will realize it's me." Everyone chuckled, even Wind despite her nerves, which caught Floras attention.  
"I am very sorry, but I don't believe I've had the honor to meet you before?" she asked carefully.  
Wind smiled at the young woman before her. In appearance Flora was older than her but she was very smart and had not allowed that to influence her actions. She had already understood that Wind was older than her from what she had said earlier and was sure to treat her with the proper respect.  
"We haven't met properly before that is true. But I was present during all of your life, human and immortal. You just never saw me, as no one sees the wind. Not until centuries after you became immortal, when I met Jack Frost did I allowed my existence to be known by anyone else than the ancient ones and another century before I took a solid form for the first time. And until recently Jack was the only one to ever see me in this form." Flora smiled a bit nervously, she'd never get used to the fact that there were certain spirits who simply knew a lot if not everything. Wind noticed Flora's unease and smiled sadly. "Don't worry. I believe I explained myself wrong. I as you see me before you, am not everywhere at once. This part of me that talks to you and just danced with Jack is what you could call my center of awareness. It's the very core of my being. Just like how your physical form is the one you use to interact with others and direct your powers. But if you were to focus you'd see that you can see beyond that what your physical eyes can see. My currents are more part of me than your powers are, but you should still be able to sense trough them even if their work is far away from you." Flora glanced at Jack who nodded reassuringly. When Wind first explained it to him, it had sounded weird. But the more he thought about it the more his frost and snowflakes seemed to, well not speak exactly, but communicate on some level. This is what made making Snowdrop possible.  
"Don't be mad for keeping that a secret. It wasn't on purpose. We just rarely talked about work when we were together so it never came up." Jack smiled apologetic at her, feeling a bit guilty now. Who knows what Flora and the others would discover about their own powers now that they understood them a bit more?  
"No problem Jack. I mean if you add all the hours we've spent in the same room together we've known each other for less than a year. And that time was indeed not meant for work but for some time off. I mean if I were mad with you I'd have to be mad with Inna as well for never mentioning any of this to me before. But I'm not. How about you guys?" She looked behind her for the other seasons children. Sanuye and Joshin shook their heads with amused smiles.

* * *

"Now, at this rate he'll never get to enjoy the party children, let's move it along a bit shall we? I want to have a look at him as well." Jack bowed for Aurora who had come forward. She was a towering woman with a very dominant aura. Whenever someone met her for the first time they couldn't help but feel intimidated. Her voice was warm and strong, her golden hair fell in perfect curls down her back and she always wore a dress that could rival fire in its intense color and fluent outline.  
It was a humbling experience to say the least. Her eyes were a sky blue with golden spots, which you could only see when you managed to look her straight in the eye for longer than an instant. The only spirits who were familiar enough with her to have done that that among others these spots were spoken about as if they were something legendary. Jack had once said to bedtime that it would make a good test of bravery in a story.  
There were a lot of rumors about several features of Aurora's face. Some true, others absolutely not.  
The ancient ones and the seasons children all knew Aurora well enough to know for sure.  
But for mostly any other spirit and any mortal it will forever remain a mystery.  
"Queen summer," Jack said softly before kissing her hand. He wasn't entirely immune to Aurora.  
It still took him a while to get used to her presence before he could act normal in front of her.  
"Jack, you've grown so much since the last time we saw you." Jack chuckled a bit. It had been a long time since someone said that about his physical form. He had just had a grow spurt the summer before his change. It was a funny coincidence that the spirit of summer would be the one to say that again, even if she was referring to his growth as a person.  
Aurora smiled at Jack, ruffled his hair –catching him completely of guard, his face was priceless- and bowed to Wind who returned the gesture.  
"Jack I'm so happy for you. You'll do a wonderful job." Sanuye was much easier to approach than her seasons queen. She wasn't as spontaneous and playful as Flora but she had the most warm and welcoming smile. She had all the typical Native American features, her dark eyes warm and so intense that you almost expected her to see right through you. She also dressed in the traditional style of her tribe.  
She bowed to Wind with deep respect. Her people had always believed in the more elemental spirits of nature, she understood that this was who Wind was, and she couldn't be more honored.  
Wind bowed for Sanuye with equal respect, aware that she knew of her true identity without being told by the ancient ones.

* * *

Then Samuel came forth. He didn't speak, as was his habit, but gave Jack an intense look that said more than words ever could. Jack smiled and felt warmth settle in his hearth. He bowed for the King of Fall, not saying a word and waited while Samuel greeted Wind in the same manner. Wind was a bit taken aback by the look Samuel gave her. His eyes pleaded for her forgiveness. She smiled at him fighting back tears and nodded. Samuel smiled gratefully.  
Joshin was like Samuel in his silence. Neither of them was mute like Sandy, but they felt more content listening. Their season, to them, was one of sound. And they had learned to appreciate listening to it so much that they treasured every sound including that of their own voices. If they made sounds they had to be full of meaning. And if they didn't find the right words they didn't speak.  
But Joshin had the right words. So he spoke.  
"You belong." They were but a whisper, only Jack and Wind had heard the Buddhist boy and they both understood and bowed gratefully.  
"Oi. Not tha be rude but we should get going. Like ya said, tha night won't last forever." Bunny shook the three spirits out of what felt like a surreal dream.  
Jack smiled at the guardian of hope and saw that he was standing a bit uncomfortably next to Aurora, but didn't dare to move away without a good excuse.  
"Yeah, let's go. I don't feel like spending the whole party bowing."  
They all walked over to Father Time next. If you saw him at that moment for the first time and had to tell someone else what he was like right then and there. You'd say he's a grumpy old man and possibly a workaholic. But that's not true. He was just in an off mood because he had to meddle with time tonight thanks to Moon and Nightlight. Making the time bubble for this party was one thing but making a bubble within a bubble on what was supposed to be his one free evening in the year…  
It's like having to make impossible math equations on Christmas morning before you get to open any presents (unless you like math).  
But he liked Jack and really tried not to spoil the boys special night with his bad mood. Jack was just so easy going and… timeless is a word to describe him.  
A lot of spirits have trouble with the changes around them during their lives, especially the first few decades. But Jack just accepted these things.  
He adapted easily to the times, despite an industrial revolution happening within thirty years of his birth, and quickly found new ways to have fun.  
He went with the flow of time like he rode the currents of Wind. And that earned him respect among the spirits that guarded the matters of time and space.  
To Jacks surprise the guardians set him free after they bid Father time a good evening.  
"We can see that you want to go Jack. Have fun, do what you want to do. We just wanted to introduce you officially to the ancient spirits. If we'd go through all the mingling we normally do, you'll never get to show what kind of a guardian you are tonight. So go say hi to your friends." Jack was so relieved, he could finally get to work. There were hardly any spirits dancing and he was determined to change that.

* * *

First he went to Sophia. He had promised her a dance after all and the song that would be on next was exactly the type of music she liked.  
"Hey Soph!" He greeted her, gladly dropping the formal act.  
"Hey, you've been keeping secrets," she scolded him with a teasing grin.  
He shrugged his shoulders. "The others wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. Their fun was already spoiled enough due to the rumors of a new guardian." Sophia nodded and then looked pointedly at Wind, wordlessly asking about that secret.  
"Sophia, this is my friend Southern Wind. Wind, this is Sophia the cloud spirit." Sophia curtsied as did Wind, but Jack could feel that Wind had some trouble with this nature spirit. Wind and clouds were both elements of the sky. It was only natural for them to have a stronger bond so it would be harder for Wind not to see Sophia as her own person instead of someone who'd taken her friends place.  
"Sorry but… Have we met before?" Wind and Jack looked at Sophia in confusion. It wasn't possible that she had ever seen Wind before tonight let alone meet her.  
"Sorry, it's silly. I know I've never seen you before, I would've remembered. But you have something familiar." Wind's confusion slowly made room for understanding and then a strange mix of happiness and sadness. She smiled and spoke with a teary voice:  
"You are right. You have never seen me, but the wind was well acquainted with the clouds long before you embodied them. Perhaps your element recognizes mine." Sophia fought the urge to hug the spirit in front of her for a couple of moments. She looked so sad, as if she saw a long lost relative again. Luckily Jack did the hugging for her. It was very brief and simple but Wind seemed to collect herself almost the instant Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.  
"So how about that dance huh?" How he did it Sophia didn't really understand, but just like that the heavy atmosphere disappeared and Sophia was pulled into an upbeat mediaeval dance. It wasn't long before they were joined by several other spirits and soon the room was full of dancing and laughing like it should be. After he passed Sophia on to a light-spirit he returned to the side lines for his next victim. Wind appeared next to him and gestured for the direction he had to go.

* * *

"Val! How are you doing?" He greeted the spirit of love.  
"Hello Jack. Good considering the past year. You guardians had me worried with Pitch's attack and all. When fear thrives it's a testing time for love as well you know?" Jack nodded in understanding. He remembered times wherein there was plenty of fear without Pitch doing a thing. These were indeed the times were good things like love and fun had a hard time to exist. But they were always there. No matter how dark times became, there would always be some light in the world. And so there would always be enough for all the spirits in this room to fight for.  
"Well we did our best. And it all ended up alright in the end right?" Valentine chuckled at Jacks relaxed attitude. But the spirit of love wasn't easily fooled. She knew how much Jack cared for the children and for his fellow guardians. She knew how pained he had been when they lost Sandy. And how part of him was afraid of going through that again. Love was tested very much under fear and sadly it was occasionally it's cause.  
Valentine had been one of the few spirits who had been keeping an eye on the guardians during their battle and in doing so had been able to figure out who the new guardian was. The announcement wasn't so much a surprise as Jacks behavior. She was more than happy to see that her favorite seasonal spirit was doing so well. Some would think that the spirit of love would prefer spring, or –if they would base themselves on the fact that she was born in Kenya- summer. But that wasn't the case. Her preference wasn't due to the fact that her holiday took place in Winter either. It was because, in her eyes, there was something undeniably romantic about ice skating and warming up around a fire with hot choclat milk. She found the accidental slips and stares (some 'encouraged' by Jack Frost himself) absolutely heart-melting. Frosted forests had something magical and encouraged closeness. It was, in a way, the warmest season of all. She liked fall too and of course she wouldn't go against a picnic under spring blossom or walks along a summer beach.  
She didn't dislike any of the season royals, but she liked Jack the most.  
"Val, may I introduce you to my best friend, the Southern Wind? Wind this is Valentine Cupid. Spirit of love." Valentine smiled fondly at Wind which made the poor spirit blush again. She just couldn't catch a break tonight.  
"It's wonderful to finally see you Wind." Wind bowed, smiling gratefully. Valentine among a few others had been able to know of her existence without ever really seeing her or being part of the ancient ones. But having the ability to know didn't always mean that you knew. Only those with the right abilities and enough familiarity with Jack would really know that she was there. And even then they wouldn't know who she was exactly. Valentine was one of the spirits that had grown fond of Jack. Even though he hadn't ever dared to call anyone besides Wind a friend of his. Another thing that would change as he grew over his fears of rejection.  
"It's nice to see you too Miss Cupid." Wind liked Cupid, she was an honest and kind spirit and she could speak with great humor about how the mortals portrayed her.  
"Call me Valentine or Val dear. Miss Cupid is just so silly. Besides every time I hear it I think of a flying baby before I think of myself." See what I mean?  
"Okay, Val then." Wind nodded. Jack smiled, happy to see that Wind was doing so well.  
"Wind I would like for you to have something. Since you are almost always near Jack, and are less likely to lose it." Jack frowned at Val in pretend offence. "Hey I hardly ever lose something!"  
Valentine chuckled. "Well I'm not taking any risks. Besides this way it's unlikely it will be stolen.  
How would one steal from the wind?" Jack pretended to think of a way to do so and then shrugged.  
Valentine reached for the necklace around her neck and detached a small crystal bottle.  
"This contains what I call Cupid tears. They are tears cried out of pure love. They hold immense powers when used with good intentions. Never use them for selfish reasons, it can't end well. And be careful with it. There are only three drops in here. They can each save one life. From fatal wounds, depression or incurable diseases. I'm giving this to the two of you because of how much you both have helped me in the past." With this she added the bottle to Winds necklace. Wind and Jack looked at each other with awe. They were given the ability to save three lives in the future.  
"Val, I don't know what to say…" Jack breathed as he looked at the bottle.  
"Not a thing. Each of these tears were made possible because of you. So they are yours really."  
Jack nodded, knowing Valentine good enough to see that there was no use arguing on the matter.  
"Well, thanks for the trust anyway… I know! I'll pay you back with a dance!" And before she could argue she was pulled onto the dancefloor and laughing like a newborn spirit. When the song was over she was passed on to Gabriel, spirit of the seas and Jack saw Jack flying over to whoever would be dragged onto the dancefloor next.

* * *

It was Bedtime, spirit of stories. Jack found her chatting with a group of other spirits.  
"Hey Jack!" Bedtime greeted him as he landed before her. Before Jack could reply, Wind appeared next to him. "Oh, and hello to you," Bedtime added.  
"Bethanie, this is my best friend the Southern Wind. Wind meet Bethanie. And… I haven't been introduced to her friends before." Jack smiled sheepishly earning himself a handful of giggles.  
"Well then I'll get to that immediately. Jack, Wind- very nice to meet you by the way- these are my friends Natacha spirit of communication." The oldest girl of the group, looking somewhere in her early twenties, with dark brown curls pulled in a tail and a simple purple dress smiled and waved.  
"Call me Tasha," she said politely.  
"That's Joy, spirit of emotions." The girl that waved this time was pretty much the opposite of Tasha. While Tasha was patient and composed, Joy was very spontaneous. Her dress was a colorful almost messy looking thing. "Hey! Nice to finally meet you! Bed has been mentioning you for ages! Oh and nice to meet you to Wind. I never heard about you before but I'm very happy to meet you too!" Jack and Wind Chuckled.  
"And last but not least there is June, spirit of youth." June curtsied and smiled at Jack.  
"I hope you'll do well as a guardian Jack. Because my entire job depends on how you guys do yours." Jack was a bit surprised by how forward she was. She was very nice obviously. But she certainly was of the 'no bullshit' type, when it came to her job.  
"June! There you are!" Tooth exclaimed as she joined them.  
"Good you've met Jack. He saved us all last eastern. If it wasn't for him the last light would've been lost! And I don't need to tell you what that would've meant!" Jack blushed a bit uncomfortably. "Well, I messed it up first." He admitted. "No Jack. We messed up." Tooth smiled at him regretfully. They had messed up so badly. She was certain Wind had given him the memory of when they had realized that. She hoped that when he came around to seeing it he would understand that.  
"So how are you three liking the party so far?" Tooth asked unintentionally giving Jack an opportunity.  
"How are they to know if they haven't even danced yet?" And with that he pulled the three speechless girls on the dancefloor.  
He continued his evening in this fashion. Making sure everyone was having a good time. With a dance or a chat or sometimes a prank like when he met up with Peter.

* * *

"So you remembered after all?" He chuckled as he finally spotted Peter sitting Indian style on one of the tables flanked by his current 'mother' and her little brother and sister. The three of which were staring at him and making him a bit uncomfortable.  
"Of course! I never forget… Tink wouldn't let me." At this, little Tinkerbell flew up to Jack giving him a kiss on the cheek.  
"I guess you want me to pass that one on to Periwinkle next time I see her?" Jack chuckled a bit shyly. Tinkerbells sister had in recent years chosen to stay the full season so if Tinkerbell came along with Peter and came across Jack she would usually ask him to pass something on for her.  
A message, a gift or a gesture like a kiss.  
"Well why don't you give it to her yourself? Peri, you can come out now!" he called and from one of the chandeliers came Periwinkle flying as fast as she could and nearly crashing both herself and Tink into a punchbowl but Jack managed to freeze it over in time. Wet wings was a bad way to start the night.  
"Thanks Jack!" The two chorused (Yes Jack can understand fairies).  
"Your welcome. So Peter, are you going to introduce me to your friends or what?" He asked as he gripped his staff a little tighter getting nervous again.  
"Sure! Anna, Sasha and Brian this is Jack Frost. Spirit of Winter, Guardian of Fun and a great friend thought he has turned down my offer to become head of the lost boys repeatedly." Jack rolled his eyes. "I told you a thousand times, Neverland is fun but I can't see myself living there. My place is on earth. Will you just drop it?" He looked at the eldest of the children in front of him, Anna.  
"He's really awful to be around when he doesn't get his way isn't he?" Anna blushed and shied away behind Peter.  
"I'm glad to see that you believe in me. Peter would look absolutely ridiculous if you didn't. Talking to thin air and all." Anna still remained silent.  
"You're a tough one to crack. But crack you will." While he said that he brought his hand behind his back and created a snowball inside his hand. Then both Tinkerbell and Periwinkle searched cover behind a curtain, Peter let out a yelp and two of the three siblings along with all the spirits in the immediate area were staring at the boy of the group of humans who had fallen victim to Jacks snowball. The boy seemed to need a few moments to realize what had happened and then Jacks magic started to take effect.  
The boy snorted which caused both his sisters to start giggling and relaxing. Jack finished his job with a wave of his staff creating a trail of snow leading to the entry of the garden which was covered in snow by now. The four humans snowball-fighted their way to the garden followed closely by their immortal friend and a couple of other spirits who seemed to find the idea of a snowball fight too tempting to resist. Jack looked down upon his work with satisfaction before taking off again to the next guest that needed to meet with the guardian of fun.

* * *

There were lots of interesting and fun spirits gathered. The groundhog was very happy to be able to congratulate Jack and they joked a while about how Bunny seemed to deal so much better with winter spirits and sprites than in the past. He also met up with the Leprechaun who gave him a quick lesson on the Irish dancing style, one of the few styles Jack hadn't come around to learning yet. He also met a river spirit named Claire who was quite talkative and flirtatious with Jack. She did however show great respect towards Wind when introduced to her. It was weird, but it seemed that at least on a subconscious level, all nature spirits seemed to understand who Wind was. It somehow comforted Wind to know that all these nature spirits seemed to be enough in touch with their element, with her kind, to recognize her in a way.  
Not everyone was humbled by Winds presence thought.  
Mainly Feya, a fire spirit who seemed to be very unbothered by things like personal space or subtle hints.  
Jack had decided to talk to her because she had been standing of the side despite the fact that she obviously liked the music and wanted to dance.  
That and he was a bit curious. Most warm spirits seemed to be a bit suspicious about him –even now he was a guardian thought none of them seemed to keep that up once he'd actually spoken with him- but this one seemed to find him interesting. He had caught her looking at him a couple of times tonight and she had never tried to hide it. She had smiled and waved and then struck up a conversation with whoever was next to her at the time.  
So he had flew up to her and politely introduced himself. To which she introduced herself as Feya spirit of fire, coming a bit too close for Jacks comfort.  
Wind had appeared, both because she wanted to be introduced and because she hoped that the woman would behave once there was an audience. Hoped being the key word. She remembered that even when the fire spirits had been aware they were very dominant and even more forward with their opinions and feeligns. She had often wondered how they had ever lost themselves before the winds had. And indeed, Feya had taken a step back, but only to greet Wind briefly before returning her full attention to Jack. Right when Wind started to think about a pretend emergency she could drag Jack of to he came up with something himself.  
"Say Feya your Hawaiian right?" He started. Feya nodded, stroking her long red, once black, hair from her face.  
"Great! Teach me the hula!" And with that hula music started playing and Jack dragged Feya on the dance floor. Feya didn't seem to be bothered by the way Jack had effectively put a stop to her shameless flirting. She found it actually very funny knowing that if she hadn't flirted like she had he probably wouldn't have sent a message to Phil to let him know what type of dance he needed and instead danced a waltz with her or something of the sort. It had been due to her own overconfidence that he had felt the need to create distance.  
So she accepted his rejection amazingly gratiously and taught him with a smile on her lips and laughter in her eyes. Because honestly, you can't possibly spend time with Jack and not have fun.  
A while later Jack looked over a room full of people that were having a good time. But he still had his biggest challenge to face. He scanned the shadows for the guest he had spotted there earlier. He would take care of this personally. Once and for all.

 **Okay so yes I made a Disney reference in a fanfic about a Dreamworks movie. Just to be clear I don't own the characters from Peter Pan or the Tinkerbell movies either, I just loved the idea of Jack and Peter being friends. And I didn't come up with that myself, it's a fan thing that has art about it and everything but I like it so I use it. Sue me.  
What do you think about the rest? Like hate? Who is Jack going to confront now? Any ideas? PLEASE let me know your thoughts! I love to read what you guys think about my characters and storyline.  
I'll be honest. The next chapter is about ready. Really I just need to check it over one more time and perhaps add a couple of plot details but it's done. No, that doesn't mean I'll post it tomorrow or even this week. I'll wait with posting it at least until today in a week and possibly a little longer. Why? Well because not only is Chapter 9 ready, so is chapter 10. And I don't want to post everything now only to have a 6 month gap or something before I post chapter 11. So have patience and know that the next one is on its way.**


	10. 9)The Shadow Princess

**AN: *I am pacing nervously accros the floor looking trough my notes when the guardians appear.*  
Jack: Ur Fan? Are you alright? You seem a bit... tense.  
Me: They don't like it anymore. I thought the last three chapters were fine but obviously I did something wrong. They didn't like it...  
Tooth: Sweeth tooth I'm sure that's not true. Did anyone say something mean in the coments?  
Me: No, but... never mind. You'll think it's silly.  
North: Nothing's silly you can tell.  
Me: Okay, so last chapter was pretty long right? Well, no one said anything about it... I'm afraid it's because I did a bad job. I don't expect a hunderd reviews but one would be nice. To know I'm on the right track. Like I said it's silly but I still felt like I needed to share this with you guys. I try not to beg for them and I don't revieuw every chapter of every story I follow so I understand that some chapters just won't get revieuwed. But it's how I feel and I know that this can affect my writing so if this chapter seems a bit odd for some reason. I eddited it feeling a bit insecure. so there  
Bunny*cleares troath*  
me*sighs: You all should know that I don't own the rights to anything related to the guardians in anyway. Just my OC's and this plot.  
Warning: Minions (I think)**

 **8) The shadow princes  
** Jane had always found it a bit ironic to go to the Nox Lumen, being the princess of shadows and all. But she was good and therefore invited. I sense that some of you have difficulty picturing anything shadow related as good and I don't entirely blame you. But I can guarantee that Jane would never use her powers to hurt anyone.  
It pained her deeply that her shadows were used to scare the children. She often wished that she could do something to make it up, to show that her shadows weren't to blame for the nasty things happening in them. It was fears fault.  
Shadows had always been very misunderstood. They were portrayed as evil, but that was not how they were. Sometimes a shadow got corrupted by it's owner, if said owner was truly evil. The shadow was the very core of its owner. Very different from the superficial reflections, who contained a person's vanity and insecurities. Not to say that the spirit of reflection was a bad person, a little narcissistic, but a decent person on the whole. She had nothing against him or his reflections, who were also very misunderstood, accused of being demonic at times. Oh if only humans understood better what the reflections and impressions light made meant.  
Shadows contained the depth of a person, they were light filtered by a person's core. Humans seemed to struggle to understand that.

* * *

Luckily there were also people who did understand, they even found her shadows fascinating and made fun games with them. One such person was Jackson Overland. His shadow had quickly become one of her favorite. It was always playing and moving, never frightened. She loved it.  
And he also got others to enjoy her shadows. She couldn't thank him enough.  
Especially since she couldn't really thank him at all. At least, not until that one day, when he became immortal.  
She knew when it happened because she felt his shadow change.  
It had been fading and then it suddenly came back, only a million times more present in her mind.  
She had cried when she felt that darkness had been near, wanting to claim this spirit with such potential, and cheered when the moon chased him away.  
Pitch Black would not get Jack Frost, she was sure of it. Jack was too good and bright to be a fearling. She wanted to thank Jack right away, but the moon pleaded with her to wait. He hadn't returned Jacks memories with a reason and when he explained she knew he was right.  
So she waited, did her work and kept an eye out for his shadow. Free and careless floating in the Wind, or sad and lonely sinking in the ground.  
Sometimes even angry and defensive. Nothing bad could rule him for long -he didn't allow it- but the dark was there, waiting for another chance.  
At the Nox Lumen, the only time of year she got out of the house, she could see him in person.  
She had always enjoyed watching the other spirits in their beautiful attire, but never participated. Even if she was considered a good spirit, she still felt out of place.  
When Jack started coming as well, and turned out to be as shy as she was, she spent the time he was there watching him. And she fell, hard. She had always had a minor crush on him, due to how much she enjoyed the way his shadow was, but now she saw him…  
He was handsome, with blue eyes that were just… so bright and alive. His hair white as snow and then his smile. As uncomfortable as he was, she did see him smile every once in a while.  
When he secretly played tricks by example, or saw someone else doing something funny.  
And when he danced with Wind- she was aware of all shadows even if they, like Winds, were hiding until her owner decided to appear- he was so graceful.  
She was awed by him and wanted to walk over and ask if he would dance with her so badly, but she was too shy.  
It wasn't that Jack was too intimidating to approach, not ever and espesially in his early years he would've been verry happy with the chance to make a new freind. But she always made an excuse why this year wasn't the right year. And every year he became more and more closed off and she found it harder instead of easier to aproach him. He was still a wonderfull person, but he got more and more afraid from big crowds. And so she cept waiting until he was better at ease.

* * *

Anyway, today she had fallen even deeper and at the same time she felt like whatever chance she had dared to hope she had with him had now completely vanished.  
He was a guardian –not a chance that he would associate with someone who lived in Pitches liar.  
She cursed her father for locking her away and stupefy her for the whole battle. Not only did it prevent her from doing something to stop his plan, it also made her miss the fact that Jack was there battling alongside the guardians. But in all honesty, she should've known anyway. Jack's shadow was with those of the other guardians so often nowadays.  
She had just refused to see the truth. That also explained why she hadn't tried to figure out what had happened during the battle, pretending that knowing how her shadows had been misused would only upset her more. This all was true, and she had already decided that her father was forever banned from using her shadows to travel again. But perhaps on a subconscious level, she had also been protecting herself from the truth about the one spirit she wanted to get to know better but never dared to approach.  
Stupid girl. 300 years, that's how long she had been postponing talking with Jack, and now it was obviously too late. She had wanted to kick herself but instead took a deep breath to return her attention to the ballroom.  
She watched with awe as she saw him dance with a solid Wind. She knew that the two of them were only friends but still, seeing the wind spirit made it so clear to her that she had no chance with him. Because Wind was by far the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. And they were so wonderfully happy together, even if they weren't _that_ kind of together. How could she –or any girl- hope to get his attention away from Wind long enough to make him really see, never mind fall in love with her?  
Then she watched him as he was officially introduced to the ancient spirits and the seasonal court, instinctively hiding herself more in her shadows when he bowed for Mother Nature (a.k.a. her sister Emily). She smiled amused as he flew around and pulled or pushed everyone on the dance floor and played his pranks.  
She watched him dance with April Fools and Patrick the Leprechaun. She giggled when she saw him interact with Peter Pan and his guests.

* * *

She had once helped Peter fly when Tinkerbell had gotten mad with him and left him stranded without pixiedust in London. But she had underestimated the effect it would have on a shadow of a person as independent and rebellious as Peter to manipulate it as long as it took to go from London to Neverland. You see, Jane could manipulate the shadows, not only use them as a means of transport and communication and other stuff. She could actually move the solid body using the shadow, if that solid body didn't resist. But once she released the shadow of her control it usually had a short period of independent existence. Meaning it could move on its own… That's how Peter's shadow became a flight risk.  
Back to the present. She saw how others shook of the remains of some snowballs that had missed their intended target and laugh it off. She watched as Jack continued his quest to make everyone smile. And though she had seen Jack smile before she was blown away by it now, it was so much more genuine.  
He was so relaxed. His shadow finally felt like it had when he was mortal, of course still a thousand times more present, but the feeling was right. He was himself now, fully himself. And thus she could no longer deny that she was in love with him. Really in love.  
Not with his shadow, not because of her gratitude, not because he was a loner like herself- clearly he wasn't- just him.  
Jane sighed feeling saddened. Suddenly she realized that he had disappeared from the crowd. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't been paying attention to where he was. Just when she wanted to search for his shadow a gentle voice came from behind her.

* * *

"Lovely evening isn't it?" she suppressed a yelp and turned around.  
Jack Frost stood there, on the same balcony she was hiding.  
He was leaning against the balustrade, supporting his weight on his elbows.  
He looked stunning in formal clothing. For the first time in history, Jack frost had dressed up for a party and he looked gorgeous. He hadn't left his staff behind, but that was understandable.  
Even though he could control his powers without staff just as well, he felt better using it.  
His shadow felt wrong if the shadow of the staff wasn't connected. The staff in itself didn't hold power, no one but Jack could use it, but to him it was part of himself, both physical and emotional.  
"Oh, good evening guardian." Jane said as she curtsied for him. Jack rolled his eyes and smiled at her. Oh, if he knew how that smile made her feel...  
Would he be flattered? Or would it make him feel uncomfortable and avoid her?  
"Please, it's just Jack. I have Sprites thinking I'm royalty, I don't need spirits to follow their example." He knew that on certain ocasions people would treath him as if he really was royalty, but he just couldn't match the immage of a prince with himself. He didn't mind treating ladies or his elders with the proper respect, that's how he was raised. But when people bowed for him... it just felt wierd.  
"Besides, if either of us is royalty it is you." He straightened his stance and walked toward her with the grace and pride of ancient kings. (Don't tell him I said that. He would be really anoyed at my choice of words.) He bowed and took her hand.  
"It's an honor to meet you, shadow princes Jane." And he kissed her hand. It was innocent and quick, yet it still made her fight her blush.  
But wait, he knew who she was? Well sure she was the princess of shadows but how did he know her with name and everything? She hadn't really expected that to be common knowledge. You know since she hardly ever spoke with anyone.  
"You have heard of me?" She asked as Jack released her hand and leaned on his staff.  
"Sure. Did you really think that I never noticed you standing at the sidelines? I would've come over and said 'hi' ages ago, but I figured you stood alone for a reason, like me. But now I know how fun it is down there I thought maybe I could try and convince you to join?" Jane was awed. He had cared about her being alone? He wanted her to have fun? But why would he? "Don't you know who my father is?" Surely no one could believe that someone who chose to live anywhere near the king of fear could be good or even likable? But Jack just nodded like it was no big deal. "I also know who your sister is. I'm sure she would love to catch up with you."  
He smiled at her, hope shining in his eyes.  
But Jane walked to the edge of the balcony looking over the garden and shook her head.  
She had picked a side, father needed someone to look after him even if he wasn't fully himself. She loved her sister, who was half of the person they once were together. Still she had chosen for the father who according to Emily died when those things took him, but Jane hadn't lost hope.  
Emily must've felt so betrayed.

* * *

"I can't go down there," she whispered ready for him to give up and leave.  
He didn't. He came to stand next to her and stared in the distance with her for a bit.  
"That dress is really beautiful, a bit Halloween like." He suddenly said.  
Jane blushed and looked down at her dress, it was black and it looked as if it was torn apart.  
There was an A line opening on her lower back, one shoulder was completely bare and on her other shoulder was a torn looking sleeve revealing most of her arm. The skirt of her dress reached until a bit above her knees on the front and the longest part on the back reached until halfway her calves.  
Jack reached over and touched her torn sleeve, seemingly just wanting to feel the fabric.  
But where Jacks hand touched her dress, frost started to form. The frost crawled further, slowly covering her whole dress and then it wasn't frost anymore. Her dress was now covered in millions of crystals that made it shine, add Jacks signature fern pattern to the mix and it looked breath taking.  
She was fascinated by how the crystals caught the light.  
"Merry belated Christmas." Jack smiled, confident that the first step of his plan worked out right.  
Jane looked at him again. A Christmas present? For her?  
"Your hair looks nice too. Did it take long to get it like that?" Jack acted as if he didn't just turn her dress into one out of a fairy tale.  
Jane smiled shyly. She had straight black hair that reached until her waist. It was boring if she wore it down. So she tried to make it look a bit more alive.  
"Oh, well I've had lots of practice doing my hair. It's no big deal," she mumbled.  
Jack smirked and frosted the wall, then he drew tree triangles that crossed each other and then made a gesture as if he was coaxing the frost to come out.  
And it did, but now Jane saw that it weren't triangles but a white lily.  
Jack smiled proudly as he added the flower in her hair, right above her right ear. "Happy belated birthday. It was the 12st right?" she could only nod in awe. How did he know? Maybe Wind told him? That was possible. Or Emily, yeah, Emily might have said that to him. Still it was very kind.  
"Thank you. So much." Jack shrugged. She wondered what she should do now. What a question, the boy she had liked for ages stood next to her and wasn't going anywhere right now. She should talk with him, maybe subtly flirt. But could she do that? No, she was too much of a coward.  
But she could do something else. "So I hear you have your memories back," she said.  
Jack nodded before suddenly looking at her in surprise. "Wait how did you know I lost them in the first place?" Jane smiled apologetically, hoping desperately that he would think that the blush on her cheeks was because of the fact that she felt a little ashamed of not telling him of his past.  
"Well, I kind of already noticed you when you were human. You made fun games with my shadows.  
I tend to keep an eye on that type of people, who see light in darkness you know. It helped me a great deal to know that my shadows could bring fun and not just fear. I wanted to thank you for that by the way. I would've thanked you sooner but when MIM told me his reasons for not returning your memories I promised to wait. I hadn't thought it would take this long." Jack smiled.  
"You're welcome." It could be her imagination but she thought she saw him blush.  
"Hey, what's this?" Jack asked quickly, not really liking that they were talking about him. He softly touched her necklace. It was a simple silver chain with a black teardrop for a pendant.  
"It's the first and only birthday gift my father ever gave me," she whispered.  
Maybe she should make Jack leave now. If her father discovered she had spent time with a guardian, or even worse if he learned she had feelings for him, he would be either livid or he would see it as an opportunity to bring his enemy's down and try to manipulate her into helping him.  
Jack saw it was a sore subject for her and dropped it.  
"Are you absolutely positive I can't say anything to get you to come down with me?" He asked.  
Jane was sure he probably could come up with something, but she shook her head. Better not be too obvious about the power he held over her. But what if he would give up now and leave? Jack sighed as if he lost a game they were playing. Then he turned to her with that smile of his.

* * *

"At least dance with me then?" He asked as he put his staff away and held out his hand for hers.  
His voice was soft, soothing, and unintentionally a little seductive. He really was clueless about that.  
Jane nodded hardly able to believe that her crush for 301 years just asked her to dance.  
Her father and what he'd do if he heard were completely forgotten. This was her moment.  
One she would cherish forever. Even if she didn't have feelings for Jack this still would've been a moment to treasure for her. It was after all the first time a boy had asked her to dance with him.  
It was the first time she had ever danced with a boy. The first time she had danced as just Jane.  
He smiled sweetly and pulled her close, guiding her left hand to his shoulder, before laying his right hand on her waist. A new song started, it was "Iris" from a band called the Goo Goo Dolls. She loved this song. They swayed softly to the instrumentals.  
"Thanks again. For the flower, and the dress… it's wonderful."  
"Don't mention it. You looked so sad, I couldn't possibly not try to cheer you up. Now, you are ready to go to the ball..." Jacks smile went from gentle to mischievous. "Do you think you can handle a dance with me? This song actually deserves a bit more spunk than this." Jane's eyes widened.  
No! Jack danced incredibly good, she hadn't danced ever since she could remember.  
"No worries, just look at me and all will be fine. I'll lead." He promised and she felt all fight leaving her. Before she knew it, she was twirling around like a professional.  
Somehow she and Jack didn't break eye contact for more than half a moment.  
This is how Jane didn't notice that Wind picked them up, or that they slowly left the balcony and were dancing in the ballroom for everyone to see.  
She also didn't notice how everyone was staring at them. She was totally enchanted.  
Jane happily gave all control to Jack, who guided her trough the song. Jacks eyes didn't just comfort Jane they completely captivated her.  
And he? He didn't have a clue. His eyes just kept sparkling happily. He was having fun and trying to help someone else to open up more. He didn't notice that Jane's gaze was admiring, he only saw that her nerves had left her which made him even happier. He loved his job.  
He guided his partner to a less central spot of the dance floor, by the end of the song he had gotten them to where mother nature stood.  
Everyone else had returned to their business so Jane wouldn't be too uncomfortable.

* * *

He ended their dance with a dip and Jane really wanted him to kiss her, but of course he didn't. Instead he brought her back up, released her and kissed her hand.  
"You were an terrific dance partner your majesty." She smiled and blushed scarlet, still oblivious to where they were. Then Jack turned to someone who stood right behind her and she realized that not only was there someone behind her, she was surrounded by no one was staring.  
There were only a couple of awed glances here and there and some friendly smiles when she happened to look someone in the eye. Okay, this wasn't so bad.  
"I would like to introduce Jane, the shadow princes. Jane, I believe you know Mother nature?  
How could Jack sound so casual about the matter? Jane turned around shocked.  
"Emily?" she breathed. There she stood, her sister in all her glory and she looked so happy to see her. Jack had been right, of course he was. She wasn't mad at all. The next moment the two embraced each other, crying their hearts out. Jack smiled satisfied with his work.  
He left the two women to themselves, after being separated for thousands of years they were bound to have a lot to talk about.  
Unknown to Jack there was one other spirit present for the reunion, somewhere far away in his liar, the remains of Pitch Black fought tears as the crystal, connected to Jane's necklace showed how both halves of his daughter were reunited.  
Kozmotis fought and screamed inside him, longing for the picture, but also wanting his poisoned self to stay far away from both of them.  
Pitch couldn't help but be affected by Kozmotis love for his daughter. He felt, content, he supposed, when Jane was with him, but he wanted Emily too.  
He needed both halves of his captives daughter to be with him. To soothe Kozmotis or to comfort himself he did not know. Al he knew was that he longed for them.  
Soon he promised himself, they would be both with him. A wicked smile apeared on his face, he knew exactly who to use for that.

 **Check out some nox lumen dresses, link on my profile**


	11. 10) Finding out

**I don't own the 'Rise Of the guardians' characters or background stories.**

 **10) Finding out  
when stealing ones memories, and entering them  
**Jack and the guardians were pretty happy about this year's Nox Lumen.  
MIM had been there, Emily and Jane had been reunited, everyone had a great time and there was no drama–except the little clash between Mother nature and MIM which was mostly handled 'behind the scenes'.  
There had never been so many guests who had felt the need to stay the night as now.  
It has been 3 hours since the first guests left and the ballroom was pretty much empty now.  
Apart from the guardians and Wind there were seven spirits who had yet to retreat for the night.  
Bedtime and her friends Tasha, Joy and June and also Feya, Clair and Sophia had stayed behind to wind down a bit before going to their rooms. Especially the last three since they were a bit intoxicated.  
Jack was toying a bit absentmindedly with the new toothbox he had gotten for Christmas. He wanted to look into his Christmas memories later after he had gone to his room. He was pretty sure it would be rude to enter them right here and now.

* * *

"Hey what's that Jack?" Claire giggled as she reached for Jacks hands.  
He immediately got defensive. "Nothing," he exclaimed as he jumped a bit backwards to get out of her reach. He knew she was only teasing him, but he only held onto things that were very valuable to him. (His staff, North's nesting doll and snow globe and the necklace with his memories, his dreams and his hope*.) So he was a bit protective of these possessions.  
The other guardians chuckled and shook their heads at the behavior of the drunk river spirit.  
"Oh but it doesn't look like nothing." The warm exotic voice of Feya came from behind Jack.  
He tried flying up but was quickly blocked by Sophia. He felt Wind shifting and turning, trying to find an escape but then his tooth-box was snatched away.  
"Hey those are mine!" He yelled at the fire spirit who was studying it with interest.  
"Your memories? Oh but Jack, this is so exiting!" Jack tried to grab the box but Feya avoided him with ease. Jack felt as if he would pale if he wasn't already as pale as he could be.  
"Oh, let me see!" The 2 others giggled rushing towards Feya. "Leave Jacks memories alone!" Bedtime yelled–who knew she could get mad–as she and her friends came to Jacks aid.  
"Yeah, sheila. Those memories are private." Bunny jumped in.  
"Memories are only meant for their owner, what you're doing is very disrespectful!" Tooth said.  
"Nich funny, you give back or all on naughty list." Soon everyone was trying to grab the box.

* * *

Suddenly a bright flash occurred blinding them for a moment. Jack was the first to get over the shock. He looked around and saw the world around him morphing, colors and shapes constantly shifting and not only his vision was acting strange. Sounds were blurred only every now and then did he hear laughing or yelling but nothing very clear. He could feel intense cold turning to pleasant warmth and back again. He could even smell flowers, followed by Christmas dinner and then pine.  
"What is happening?" he cried out. Everyone was now aware of their surroundings and looked at Tooth, memories were after all her domain.  
"Ehm, well we are obviously entering… your memories." Sophia and Clair exchanged a shocked glance. "That wasn't meant to happen." Claire whispered. "Jack I'm so sorry. I didn't think it would do that honestly." Sophia pleaded. Jack nodded, indicating that he believed her. It was clear that they regretted putting him in this situation. They had just been teasing him.  
Feya on the other hand didn't seem as remorseful as the other two. He didn't think that she had planned on anything like this, she wasn't mean, but she didn't mind that it happened.  
He shook of those thoughts. It didn't matter. It happened, intentionally or not.  
He looked back to Tooth silently urging her to continue  
"Since all of us were touching your box when it was activated, we are all in this together…  
The box is arranging which memories it should show us… You see it shall try to respond to the implied question we had in our head when touching it… you know if we were thinking of you or your memories." Jack processed this. He had been thinking about his sister. Nothing too bad could come of that. Right? But what about the others?

* * *

"Okay, so what are we going to see?" He wanted to be prepared.  
"I just wondered, very briefly, how you were as a toddler." Tooth looked mortified to admit that she was curious for memories that weren't hers. Jack smiled, letting her know that he wasn't mad.  
He could live with a couple of his early childhood adventures being shown to the spirits here.  
He looked at Bunny. If any of his friend had thought of something embarrassing it would be him.  
"Oy mate, I just wondered bout Eastern. Bet you were quite the egg hunter weren't ya?"  
Okay not that bad either, he was a good hunter.  
He turned to North already guessing what he would say.  
"I vas wondering about Christmas. You often on naughty list, no?" Jack smiled knowingly.  
He shifted his gaze to Sandy who showed him a snowflake, a figure standing in a heroic pose, staff in hand foot on rock, an equality sign followed by a smaller snowflake. "Eh, me… Brave?… me as a kid? You wonder if I was brave as a child?" Jack guessed.  
"As brave. Sandy wants to know if you were as brave then as you are now." Tooth added.  
Jack felt like blushing. He had to get used to getting compliments.  
He smiled gratefully at Sandy when Wind appeared next to him.  
"I thought about the ones I gave you…" she said a bit nervous. Jack nodded. He hadn't found the time to really look through them all yet, but he knew that there would be some very personal memories among them. He could of course always see if he could freeze certain spirits for a bit so they wouldn't see those he really didn't want to share. He smiled at his friend before turning to Bethany.  
"Well I… oh, I wanted to know if you were a story teller. You weren't one of mine obviously but still." Bedtime blushed scarlet. Jack smiled reassuringly. Okay so far so good. He started to realize there might be nothing to be afraid of. He was overreacting. Sure he would've rather not have part of the audience and been able to tell the other guardians about his past in his own time, but what was done was done. It wasn't like they would look at him that differently. He was the guardian of fun. Mischief was expected. If they did see him do something a little bit childish they probably would say he hadn't changed at all. He looked at Joy. She wasn't as shy to admit her curiosity as the others.  
"I was curious about your childhood pranks." She said. He grinned at her, Joy was so spontaneous and had her hearth on her tongue. He looked at Tasha, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.  
"Only curious if the prince of winter liked winter as a mortal as much as he does as an immortal." Jack was actually starting to enjoy the idea of this trip down memory lane. He looked at June.  
"I wondered about your friends. What they were like." He nodded, happy that none of his friends had searched for something embarrassing in his past, if they had they of course couldn't have predicted that they would get to see it, but still.

* * *

He went on to the next one. Nervous again. "Oh, Jack, I'm hurt. I didn't think anything to scandalous. I just remembered your mad dancing skills. I wondered if you swept unsuspecting girls of their feet before tonight." Sophia winked playfully. Jack felt really uncomfortable. What was it with girls nowadays? This never happened when he was human. At least he didn't think so…  
"I want to know if you always were this shy around girls." Claire giggled in reaction to his awkward response to Sophia. Okay, seems like he would find out if girls had always been like that.  
He didn't think there had been a girl he liked, surely if there was anyone important he would've remembered her by now. He remembered Emma, his mother and his father. And his best friends Thomas and Clara. He also remembered all his other friends and the adults from the village.  
He remembered the little children he had entertained and the games he had made up.  
If there had been a girlfriend he would've known. But he wasn't entirely sure if there had been a girl that liked him, he hadn't paid attention to that kind of stuff when he was human, nor had he searched for it when looking at his memories. What if the box would show that as an alternative?  
Okay, the big one. Feya had been more outspoken tonight, her curiosity would be less PG rated.  
"I simply want to know what you were like as a teenager." Feya wore an innocent smile and had her hands clasped behind her back, but Jack doubted her curiosity was as innocent as she made it sound.  
He sighed and turned around. Right then, as if the box had waited for them to be ready the first memory appeared.

 **Hope you liked it, revieuws are apreciated.**


	12. 11) Meanwhile and across the sea

**Me: Okay guys let's get this over with.  
Cast: ur fan doesn't own us except her OC's and she also owns the plot to this specific story!  
Quick shout out to the reviewer:  
** **Nick (guest): Glad to see your so enthusiastic about this, And me doing a 180… well I wouldn't dare to spoil anything would I?  
** **Thought I did kind of plant the promise of something angsty in the prologue I think. We'll see.  
** **To all of you: enjoy this chapter  
** **warning: minions  
** **11) Meanwhile and Across the sea  
** **(Meanwhile)  
** Before Jack and the others even got into any argument, Wind send part of herself to wander the hallways of the, by lack of a better term, hotel.  
She could hear spirits that had decided to room together –and in doing so had rediscovered why during sleepovers, sleeping is completely at the bottom of the to-do-list –discuss the night and in some cases herself and the new guardian. She held back a giggle, human spirits could be so silly sometimes.  
It's quit clear that she warmed up towards the human spirits quite a bit over the night.  
But she wasn't just idly roaming around searching for gossip, she had a purpose in mind. And knew exactly where to find who she was looking for…  
There it is. Wind's echo stopped in front of a room where she knew a spirit lay all alone and still awake. She knocked, heard a startled 'come in' and calmly opened the door.  
 **(Across the sea)  
** The sky above them was a vivid blue and around them they heard the sea. They were on a ship, much to Bunny's dismay. It was busy on the deck, but somewhere something caused the masses to drift apart. A smal brown haired boy appeared, the look in his vivid brown eyes could not be misunderstood, he was up to mischief.  
"I can hardly believe it. But that's Jack alright. Always been a larrikin* I see." Bunny chuckled. The girls awed at the adorable 4 year old boy running past them and North nodded. "Naughty list, I knew it."  
 _"Stop him!" an authoritative voice called from the distance causing the masses to drift apart once more, revealing someone who seemed to be the captain and two passengers, a man and a woman, running to catch up with the boy. The captain was missing his hat.  
_ _"Jackson! Jackson come back here!" The woman, probably Jacksons mother, called.  
_ Everyone except Wind looked at Jack curiously. "Jackson?" Joy repeated surprised. "What? Something wrong with my birth name?" He chalanged.  
The others thought about it for a moment. "No, it still sounds fit for a troublemaker" Bedtime said after which the others snickered.  
 _"Come on boy! We aren't mad, just give the man his hat back!" Jacksons father yelled._ _They finally caught the boy at the front of the ship.  
_ _"Look!" Jackson yelled, pointing to something right next to the ship. And then they saw it. The whole ship did since they all were staring at the boy and his chasers.  
_ _"Oh, my." Jacksons mother breathed. Right next to the ship was a huge wale who came up for air.  
_ " _Jackson… did you know this?" His father asked. Little Jackson nodded. "I wanna captain see, but he no listen, so I made you all see!" The captain looked astounded. "Well boy, thank you." He murmured. At which Jackson smiled and gave the man his hat back.  
_ "Jack that… wow" Tasha whispered. "You caused amok so everyone could see this?" Tooth looked at the young guardian to find that he was somewhere in a far of place, remembering this day fondly it seemed. The other guardians smiled at him. He had been a guardian of fun even as a little boy.  
 **(meanwhile)  
** Jane had been laying on her back looking at the small bottle of dreamsand. She had almost opened it at least a hundred times but then stalled again. What would she dream about? Was it even wise to allow herself to dream? What if her father found out? What if it would cause her to get new fears? Then her father would surely know… But perhaps he knew already?  
I mean she had cared before today which meant that she must've feared before today right? Had he sensed and just thought nothing of it?  
Argh! She was driving herself nuts! Just one nice night of sweet dreams, was that so bad? And so what if she dreamt of her sister or Jack or both? It wasn't like anyone would know right?  
Suddenly someone knocked on her door effectively breaking her train of thought. Jane collected herself- more or less- and called for the unknown guest to come in. She was surprised to see wind standing in the door opening. Or not exactly Wind, the girl looked like her but wasn't as… real?  
"Hello Jane," the echo-like voice greeted her. It was surprisingly soothing. A bit like how she always imagined the elves in Lord of the Rings would speak. (What? she didn't come out often but whenever she does she spares a bit of time to get a good book.)  
"I just wanted to talk with you for a couple of moments. If that's alright?" Jane hadn't formally been introduced to Wind, unlike the other spirits, but she hadn't taken offence in that. She had been so shy, Jack probably felt that Wind would make her even more nervous.  
"Sure." Now that she was a bit over her shyness the idea of getting to know other spirits better was very tempting. But she still wasn't sure about making friends, she had to make a couple of tough decisions before she could think about anyting like that. She hadn't even talked with Emily about what the future would bring now that this first big step was made.  
Wind's echo floated towards the bed and sat herself next to the nervous but curious shadow princes.  
"You and I have a couple of things in common you know?" Wind's echo sounded very casual but Jane knew that whatever she came to talk about was serious.  
"Do we?" Jane asked trying (and failing) to sound as casual and confident as Wind.  
"Yes, for one there is no hiding from us. We, or at least our powers are everywhere and there is nothing we can't see or hear… That being said, can you guess what the other thing is we have in common?" The eyes of Wind's echo were shining with a fierce protectiveness, it was impossible for Jane not to know what she meant. Even if she hadn't suspected it before now.  
"We both care about him." There it was, Wind knew she cared about him and she knew that Jane knew that she knew… But what now?  
"I think 'care' isn't really the right word, but yes. And I know that you are doubting what to do about it, but consider this, whether you confess your feelings to Jack or not isn't going to change your father trying to get to him, so that shouldn't play part in your decision. Pitch Black has his eye on the boy you and I care about more than our own lives –each of us in a different way, but still –and finding out about your feelings for him might only cause him to change tactics. But to Jack…  
That's what you need to focus on, whether you are ready to share your feelings with him and if this is the best time to do it. And… Most of all what I want to say is…" the echo's voice slowed and she got of the bed to kneel in front of the shadow spirit, taking her hands and looking straight into her golden eyes.  
"Please, take care of him and don't hurt him. You and I know he's been through enough as it is." Jane could hardly believe the desperation in the echo's eyes.  
It was then that she realized, as a tear escaped both of them, that Wind was trusting her now with what she held most precious in this world.  
And she would be worthy of that trust.  
She threw herself in the echo's arms not caring that she might pass through (which she didn't) and the two held onto each other for dear life.  
When they pulled apart Janes pendant and the bottle of cupids tears* on the echo's necklace hooked up causing them to be connected in a more literal way.  
The girls laughed softly while untangling their jewelry from the others.  
Wind's echo smiled at Jane and got up to leave. "Wait," Jane called, a strange undertone of worry in her voice. The echo turned around curiously.  
"I… Forgive me if I'm out of line but… Did you know the original… manifestation of my powers?" The echo was surprised, Jack had been the only one to ever ask her about this before. True most other human nature spirits had only known of her existence for the duration of this night but none had asked, not out of disinterest in her, many had asked about her, but none had tried to find out what she knew about their powers even after she implied (not even subtle in some cases) that she had this knowledge.  
But Jane looked almost as if she had been torn by the thought of having replaced someone.  
When in fact, from the very beginning she had been the one Wind had had the least problems with.  
"I know her. Or rather them. Shadows were always very individual and changing beings. Not caring which surface or shape they were presented with, how much or how little their attachment moved. Sure they all had a secret preference to what was alive and moving than what was death and still. They didn't change much since the time human kind was still so very young.  
And whenever their object permanently left the light they'd find something new to shadow.  
They seem to be happy to have a care taker now thought, they have great respect for her and don't mind just going their marry way, shadows are after all naturally subjected to the will and actions of others even if they rebel every once in a while. They are not as free as they once were, but they are in good hands…"  
The echo smiled and added "You are more powerful than you want to think." Suddenly her head snapped to the door.  
"Somethings wrong in the ballroom," she whispered and dissapeared. Jane, now worried, hurried to Jack and the others.  
 **(across the sea)  
** _The memory sped up a bit showing the family remaining at the railing while the rest of the passengers and crew went back to their daily business. The small family trying to hold on to the moment just a bit longer. And then time slowed again.  
_ _"Mommy…" Jackson looked down as if being ashamed of what he was about to ask. Jacksons mother looked down on her son lovingly. "What has you so nervous my boy?" Jackson took a deep breath.  
_ _"Will uncle Deus know it's me? I was weally little when he last saw me. What if he don't like me now?" Jackson looked at his mother with worried eyes.  
_ Everyone looked at the young Jackson and then at their own Jack Frost. Wind was comforting her friend, more in an instinctive reaction on the tone of Jacksons voice than the emotions of Jack Frost next to her. Jack was completely fine. Finding humor in how he acted as a boy.  
But the guardians and spirits present now understood that Jacks fear of rejection was something he had carried with him from his human life. And for three hundred years those fears had been confirmed more often than not. They felt guilty, even those who had been nice to him. They should've tried harder.  
He had always been so confident and fun loving. It had been easy to just assume that he would be fine on his own. He had seemed like a strong person who couldn't be brought down from his everlasting high spirits. Most couldn't imagine Jack being sad or angry. Not even if they had witnessed it in the past.  
 _"Oh, but darling. Why wouldn't he like you?" His mother asked him.  
_ _"If he think I too loud? Or play too much? Miss Monty said kids not hear only see."  
_ "Neighbor in my birth village." Jack answered the unspoken question.  
"She wasn't married and hated children with a passion…" He shook his head, still not understanding how such a thing was possible. Kids were wonderful.  
 _"Miss Monty is bitter because she doesn't have children of her own." Jacksons father told his son.  
_ _"And uncle Thadeus was very sad when he left, because he knew he would have to miss his godson for two whole years. But he went so he could make a beautiful new home for us." His mother told him.  
_ _Jackson looked off in the distance thinking about what his parents said. And as the sun was setting the memory faded out.  
_ As the scene was shifting again everyone took this as a moment to reflect on what they saw.  
"Jack you were absolutely adorable as a kid!" Joy squealed.  
"Eh, thanks?" Jack blushed slightly.  
"Vas very nice, give captain break no?" North asked Jack.  
"Yeah, most of my pranks were harmless like that." He shrugged. "In the end no one really minded… most of the time." The twinkling lights in Jacks eyes were evidence that he didn't mind the later mentioned pranks too much. "Frostbite, what's with the look." Jack smiled at Bunny, his face a mask of innocence.  
"Oh, nothing Bunny… don't worry. My motto was 'you play nice, I play nice'." Somehow Bunny felt a bit intimidated by Jacks reply. Maybe because he knew that he hadn't always been nice to the winter spirit.  
Sandy pulled Jacks pants to get his attention, his bell hadn't traveled with them into the memories.  
Jack looked at his friend and studied the symbols above his head. "Um, okay, the globe… America… question mark… Where we were going?" Sandy confirmed Jacks guess with a thumbs up.  
"Well… some place that has great significance to me, even today." Jack smirked as the others thought about his cryptic answer. Well, except Wind and Bedtime who both knew where Jack had spent the ten years after the previous memory. And a significant part of the 300 years after that.  
"Burges!" Tooth exclaimed. Jack nodded. "My uncle, Thadeus Burges, build the first house there. Afterwards he build a couple more, for new settlers and one for my family of course." And then the next memory started forcing everyone to be quiet.  
 **(meanwhile)  
** Jane stood over the messed up bundle of spirits. She had no clue what had happened, Wind's echo had already merged with the original when she arrived so she couldn't ask. It didn't look comfortable enough to be just a spontaneous sleepover on the floor.  
Sandy's legs were being squished under North. And she didn't think Bunny would like it if Tooth woke up and accidently lift her knee an inch just a bit to swiftly.  
And by Moon she knew Jack wouldn't be happy whit this awkward situation… yeah it was a mess.  
She could fix this of course, she should, who knows how long they'd be asleep? Were they even asleep?  
She looked around and suddenly recognized a smaller version of a toothbox, everyone in the group seemed to have a finger glued to it.  
Were they watching Jacks memories? It didn't look like it was planned. Again they would've settled in a more comfortable way.  
She then noticed that above Sandy's head pictures were forming. "Would you look at that, a mute sleep talker," she chuckled.  
The pictures weren't the usual signs Sandy used when talking, they were clear artistic images with the occasional familiar rebus like style we all knew and loved him for thrown in. She could see an image of Jack's face looking a bit nervous and annoyed and then a cloud, a flame and a drop of water. She assumed that this meant that Jack indeed was unhappy with the situation and that the three elemental spirits had something to do with this.  
She turned her attention back to the mess. Well she couldn't keep them like this so she'd have to work with their shadows.  
'You are more powerful than you want to think.' Jane had always been a bit afraid to use her powers.  
Most likely due to the fact that she spent so much time with the embodiment of fear.  
But now wasn't the time to be careful and slow and hesitant to manipulate shadows. Now was the time to repay Jack for his kindness. She took a deep breath and then her eye fell on Jacks face once again and an idea struck her. Why not try it his way and have some fun while she was at it?  
She smiled and started making some elaborate unnecessary conductor moves while pulling the shadows of the pillows on the sofa's placed around the room towards her. It made her feel wonderfull. She gigled as she made one do a loopteloop. And it was much faster than anything she usually did.  
Now for the hard part. She didn't know how careful to be and what would happen if she accidently detached someone from the box. So for this she didn't conduct, but said an improvised spell. She was careful in her mental instructions towards the shadows thought. And not even moments later they all lay on the soft cushions no longer tangled or touching each other in potentially painful or definitely inappropriate ways.  
She had made Tooth and Bunny hold hands just to see their faces when they woke up.  
Something to lighten the mood after Jacks last human memory.  
She smiled, pleased with her work, the feeling of laughter still filling her stomach.  
She checked on the box to make sure that everyone was still touching it and noticed that Jack was touching a blue stone… it was emitting light. Was that bad?  
She shrugged, nothing she could change regardless. She casually motioned another cushion towards her so she could take a seat, follow what was happening a little trough Sandy -she wasn't going to snoop just check in every now and then so she knew how far they were in Jacks story -and experiment with her powers until they woke up.  
Shouldn't take too long anyway right?

 **AN: so that was it I hope you enjoyed it and no worries not all chapters are going to alternate between memory and what Jane goes through. It was just something I felt like doing in this one.  
Am I doing Little Jackson alright? If not some tips and tricks would be super nice.**

 ***** **Larrikin** ; **guy who always enjoys himself harmless prankster** **  
*yes there is an echo of that too, no Wind can't just make 100 echo's and have 300 tears as a result only the original Wind has the lifesaving tears the ones in the echo bottle would only be able to give some idiot the slap he needs to realize what's right in front of him.  
PS be sure to check out the nox lumen dresses. Link is on my profile  
PPS i forgot to clarify something last chapter. Jack has attached most of his presents to the necklace, so it holds his dreams (sandy's cristal) his hope (bunny's pensil less obvious perhaps) and his memories (tooths box) the snowglobe was too big to join it but he carries it around allong with the nesting doll.**


	13. 12)The land of dreams

**Hello I really hope you liked the previous memory this one is also short and sweet (in my opinion). So now for the disclaimer I present to you: the Overlanders.  
Jackson: Hello.  
Grace Overland: We just wanted to tell you that Ur Fan doesn't own anything canon.  
James Overland: But she has come up with several characters and plots and background stories in this story. We all hope that you like the things she came up with and that she does a good job at writing the characters that aren't her creation.  
Me: thank you guys. Now that leaves me with wishing you a lot of fun with this chapter. Leave your thoughts for me, it often helps me writing faster, I know I've been good with updating lately but all these chapters have been almost done for months, it just wasn't their turn yet.  
Now in this chapter nothing scary happens and no one says nasty words. So no warning nessesary.  
Enough chitchatting here it comes:**

 **12) The land of dreams  
** Even before the memory had settled back entirely- the sky still a bit blurry, and only Jacksons family into focus- could the spirits hear Jacksons excited voice.  
 _"Mommy! I see it! It's wight there Amewica!" Jackson yelled climbing on the bars at the edge of the deck. His parents came to stand behind him and saw that indeed in the distance land could be seen.  
"Our new home. The land of dreams." Jacksons mother sighed contently. Jack looked up wide eyed.  
"Land of dreams? Does the sandman live there?" he asked his mother.  
_Sandy jumped up and down smiling delighted. Jackson believed in him! It probably shouldn't be such a big deal, but for some reason all the guardians were delighted to learn that Jackson was a believer.  
 _"He just might sweetheart." His mother winked. Jackson let out a sigh of relief, which caused his parents to look at him curiously.  
"If the sandman lives there, he'll notice that we've moved, then he can tell the tooth fairy, Santa and the Eastern Bunny." Jacksons parents smiled fondly, as their son explained those concerns he had apparently not dared to voice earlier._  
The guardians snickered at that. All children had the same worries about a move.  
'Will they know where I am now?' Every time they received a letter of a worried child their heart melted.  
The other spirits couldn't get over how cute he was. Even Wind felt a stir of adoration for the young boy. Was this how a mother felt?

* * *

The memory sped up and created distance from its spectators. It now felt more like they were watching a screen instead of almost being a part of the memory.  
They watched as the ship arrived in the harbor. They saw a carriage taking the family away and then as the memory slowed again and zoomed in they see the town of Burges like it was 300 years ago. _  
A small group of wooden houses. The sun was setting and a man stood waiting along the road.  
He had the same chocolate brown hair, eyes and some other features in common with Jacksons mother. This was Thadeus Burges, Jacksons uncle.  
He looked nervous, searching for something on the road. Then his face brightened up as a carriage neared. Not much later he shouted: "Grace!" And ran to the carriage that was coming to a stop.  
He helped his sister out and hugged her tightly. "I've missed you. You look well."  
Grace returned her brothers hug. "I missed you too. You look tired." Thadeus smiled at his sister and waved her comment of.  
"Now, you didn't come here alone did you?" his voice became energized with excitement, he looked behind her into the carriage.  
_The spirits also tried to get a glimpse of Jackson, and saw him shying away behind his father.  
 _"Hello Thadeus. It's been too long old friend." Jacksons father stepped out forcing his son to follow him. When Jackson got out he exchanged his father's body for his mother's skirt as a hiding place.  
_ "Oh Jack. You are so shy!" Feya coed. She couldn't help it, little Jackson was too adorable.  
 _"Indeed." Thadeus said while hugging Jacksons father. "But now we are together once again. Which reminds me. Didn't you have a little boy when I left? Where is he? You haven't lost my godson on the way have you?" The man joked. Jackson carefully peeked at the man.  
'_ _He makes jokes like me… maybe mommy is right. Maybe he will like me'  
_ Everyone gasped. "Jack?" Feya purred all innocence form seconds ago lost.  
Jack cringed and looked at her. "Yes, something the matter?" He asked as calm as he could muster.  
"Did we just hear your thoughts?" Jack looked down. "Oh, this just got a whole lot more interesting." The others casted Jack a sympathetic look.  
 _"Oh?" Thadeus pretended like he had just noticed Jackson. He crouched down so he was on eye level.  
"And who might this young man be?" Jackson looked at his mother for support. She smiled and nodded.  
"Jackson Ovew- Overland, sir" he said softly, stumbling over his surname. Thadeus eyes widened and he pretended to lose his balance from the shock.  
"Are you serious? Jackson you've grown! But I see now. You are definitely my nephew." He picked the boy up and threw him in the air.  
Jackson forgot all about his shyness and cried out in delight. Thadeus carried Jackson as he led the family to their new home._

* * *

 _"It's not really central in the village but I thought it was easier this way since you have to be out of town more often than not." Thadeus explained. "It has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen that also serves as a dining room." He continued as the cottage came into view.  
"Oh, I love it." Grace looked fondly at their new home. It was a very modest house, but it was theirs. Jackson yawned. _Both the adults with him in the memory and the spirits who were watching it noticed that the boy was barely conscious. _  
"It seems the sandman doesn't want Jackson to ignore him much longer." (_ Sandy smiled liking these people more with every passing minute.) _Mr. Overland muttered, taking his son from Thadeus and bringing him to the upstairs bedroom with Jacksons name on it. Thadeus' voice followed behind them.  
"I'll introduce you to the other villagers tomorrow. Goodnight."  
Mr. Overland laid his son in his bed and stroked his cheek. "Dad?" Jackson forced his eyes open.  
"Yes Jackson? Do you want a bedtime story?" Jackson shook his head.  
_Bedtime pouted at this. "Sorry Bethany. I was too tired and I hated falling asleep in the middle of a good story." Bedtime thought about that and decided Jack made a valid point.  
 _"Then what is it boy?" The love Mr. Overland felt for his son was evident in the way he kept looking at his face and held on to his little hand.  
"I like uncle Deus." The boy said after which he dosed off and the memory faded.  
_

* * *

"Jackson Overland… I like it." North mumbled as he tried out the name.  
"So North, do ya remember tha bloke on your naughty list or not?" Bunny was curious.  
Jackson seemed like he was a nice kid to him. But would his mischief get him coal anyway?  
"Hm, name sounds familiar…" North suddenly remembered Jackson Overland from Burges 300 years ago, he had a sister if he remembered correctly.  
Hm, the last present Jackson Overland had received was a brand new sleigh, he had been fourteen years old and had asked it for his sister more than for himself, so North had added extra candy and a few extra trinkets to Jacksons socking to reward his selfless request. The next year he hadn't found Jackson anywhere on his list. Not nice nor naughty. He did remembered the letter of Jacksons sister from that year.  
She had asked to say 'hello' to her brother, if he ever met him, and give him the letter that was included in the envelope.  
He had assumed that her brother had passed away, it happened sometimes sad as it was.  
He had saved the letter, just like he saved all letters from children to their missing loved ones.  
He couldn't deliver them, the spirits of death were all very insistant on not letting anything from the living world come to their realms, so instead North kept the letter safe, he never got rid of any letter as it was but these letters felt different. He couldn't place them with the granted ones.  
He had a special safe for these.

* * *

But it would seem that he had misunderstood Emma Overlands letter. She didn't send it because she believed that he could somehow bring it to a deceased person, but because she knew that since her brother and he were both immortals he could really meet him and give it to him.  
North promised himself to fix that once they were done with the memories.  
"Oy, North! Today would be nice!" Bunny yelled. North shot out of his musings.  
"Sorry, I think he nice list. Very nice to other kids… ha really guardian from start!"  
North smiled fondly at Jack. But then he wondered. ..Why had Jack left all that happiness behind to become an immortal? He had always assumed that the moon had made Jack younger because it was more fitting for his character then the age he really was turned at. And when he turned out to be the guardian of fun he had been sure of it. But North now knew that Jack had been changed at 14, so young, his life hardly beginning. Why hadn't the moon waited until later?  
Everyone noticed North wasn't really with them anymore. Jack got annoyed by it and broke the tension by sending a snowball straight to North's face. It worked. North and everyone else burst out laughing. When everyone managed to get a hold of themselves the next memory started.

 **That's it for now people. Again reviews are really appreciated.**


	14. 13) my friens

**AN: First I don't own the characters. I don't own anything cannon.  
Second I hope you liked the last chapter writing these memories is a bigger chalange than I first thought. I hope you like this chapter too.  
Enjoy!  
warning: minions  
13)** **My friends  
** _All of Burges was gathered in the center of town, it was a verry humble gathering.  
There were about 3 families with kids present, 2 couples without and 3 people who lived alone. They all waited for Thadeus Burges and the new arrivals to show up.  
In the daylight the guardians could see that it was early spring in Burges.  
The conversations died down and everyone watched as the newcomers approached them with their town founder.  
When they arrived everyone took in the small family. Thadeus' sister seemed like a nice woman, she wasn't insanely beautiful but pretty enough.  
Mr. Overland had a friendly and patient expression, he was strong and good looking. Again not over the top handsome, but good looking none the less  
Then there was their son, an adorable little boy who was smiling brightly at everyone. It was impossible not to like him. He stood in front of his parents, smiling excitedly at the other children.  
_"Well it seems you are over your shyness Jackie," Joy teased. Jack frowned at her for the nickname.  
"I was nervous for my uncle. He's an adult and in my experience they were more easily annoyed by me. Other kids were never a problem." Jack staded.  
 _There was one teenage boy, a girl that seemed to be 7 years old, a baby and 2 kids about as old as Jack. Maybe a bit older or younger. A boy and a girl.  
"Hello everyone. I'd like to introduce you to my sister Grace Overland, her husband James Overland and their son Jackson Overland." Jackson smiled brightly at the mention of his name and waved.  
"Okay so this is Miss Cloverfield," he gestured to a woman in her twenties with red hair and freckles all over her face. "She is the one you need to go to if you need new clothes and Mr. Jonson over there is a great healer." A man also in his twenties, with black hair and a beard waved.  
"And that is Mr. Stanford, he looks grumpy but we wouldn't have survived last winter without him." he gestured to eldest man of the village who was halfway his thirties and the only one who looked like he was here out of politeness instead of genuine curiosity. Mr. Stanford nodded and left for his cottage.  
Thadeus looked like he wished he had stayed longer, but quickly recollected himself and turned to the first couple.  
"The lovely blond couple over there are Madame et Monseigneur Oiseau. Don't worry they speak perfect English. Cedric is a farmer, it's his sheep you'll be herding James. And Celeste will be your teacher Jackson." Jackson smiled at the blond lady and waved. Celeste smiled happy that the boy didn't seem too bothered by her profession.  
"And the brown haired man and his beautiful red haired wife are Mr. and Mrs. Stevens they're traders. The Jonson's, their daughter Rachel and newborn son Steve." The 7 year old girl and her family waved at the Overlanders. "They are the butchers and bakers of town."  
_Bunny frowned, liking the Jonson's a little less than he had when he saw their friendly smiles and the flowers in the hair of the woman and the girl.  
"The Jonson's were kind for the animals they slayed. They fed them well and made sure that they felt no fear or pain." Jack comforted him. Bunny shrugged. He knew it was idiotic to be bothered by this, humans had to eat, and meat was needed for them to grow and be strong.  
 _"That are the McFalcons." Thadeus pointed out a redheaded family. Along with the teenager and the the 4 year old boy.  
"Fredric is a smith and Sanuye makes the nicest shoes you've ever seen. Their oldest son is Brian and their youngest is Thomas. I'm sure you will become great friends." Jackson nodded. Thomas looked like he liked to have fun.  
"And last but not least, our woodworkers, the… De Shreyvers?" Thadeus stumbled over the foreign word.  
Jackson frowned not sure what his uncle meant. The 4 year old girl that belonged to the family with the funny name giggled, immediately getting herself on Jacksons 'potential best friend' list.  
The girl stepped to Jackson and offered her hand. "De Schrijver, you- uncle- twy-say, means 'the witew'." The girl said slowly in broken English.  
_"Oh, she sounds adorable!" Tooth gushed over this little girl and she wasn't the only one. Jack was relieved that the attention was directed at someone else for a minute.  
"It looks like little Jackson likes her." Feya hinted hoping to get some reaction out of Jack but he just rolled his eyes, frustrating her to no end.  
 _"I Klaartje, but say Clara, easiew, not?" Jackson fought his laughter.  
The girl talked funny but he could tell she really tried so he shouldn't laugh. Clara giggled upon seeing how he was biting his lip. "Laugh, know sound funny."  
_"And that's when I knew Clara would become my very best friend," Jack declared smiling at his younger self.  
 _Jackson snickered "We will make great friends." He said, trying not to speak too fast.  
"Oh, no, speak nomal, I undewstand all, speaking is hadew." Clara laughed too.  
"Where are you from?" Jack asked curiously, ignoring the adults who looked at them for a bit before starting to talk about things like jobs and travels, boring stuff.  
"Flandes." Clara smiled happy with her new friend.  
"Come on, let the adults chat. We're going to have fun." Jackson signaled for the other kids to follow him and Clara and they all followed curious about this new kid.  
_The guardians watched as the kids walked farther into the woods, their laughter echoing through the trees. Jackson took the lead jumping on and over everything he saw, climbing trees and rocks, exploring his new playground.  
 _"This is a great adventure forest." Jackson said as he inspected a hollow three.  
"Dinna wander of too far though. Tha Indians might get ye." Brian warned_. The boy was trying to sound like he was just teasing, but the guardians noticed that he was looking around a bit worriedly. _  
"Why would they wanna get me?" Jackson asked crawling through some low growing branches.  
"Because…" Brian began trying to find a proper way to explain this complex situation to a 4 year old..  
"Because we awe in theiw home, some addults fowget that." Clair stated trying to follow Jackson who was climbing a big rock. Her dress made it harder for her and so she was more than glad to accept Jackson's helping hand. "Ay an…" Brian was once again interrupted this time by Thomas.  
"Mr. Burges is a guid man. He tries no tae disturb tha Indians too much but mom still wants us tae avoid running intha tham." Brian looked annoyed at his little brother and ruffled his hair.  
"That's too bad. It would be fun to have an Indian friend." Jack mused the other younger kids agreed with him, Brian wasn't too sure about that.  
"Well it's very unlikely. Since the kids of the local tribes are probably told to avoid us just like we are asked to avoid them." Rachel said.  
_Tooth sighed saddened. She hated it when kids were dragged into the nonsense adults caused.  
"Prejudice, always causing trouble." Bunny grumbled, North and Sandy nodded, completely agreeing with him.  
 _"Hey where do you guys go for egg hunting?" Jackson asked, clearly done with the subject.  
"Right here actually." Brian informed Jack as they entered a huge clearing with a big oak tree in the middle. "Wow!" Jackson exclaimed after which he turned to Clara, who was standing right behind him, and poked her in the side. "You're it!" he yelled, soon everyone was running and laughing.  
And the memory faded.  
_"Oy, Frosty? When are ya going egg hunting anyway?"  
"Well we arrived in Burges on Thursday, so this was Friday… nothing too exciting happened on Saturday except talking about the egg hunt so… right now." Upon hearing this bunny turned back to the morphing mess in front of them a glint of excitement appearing in his eyes.


	15. 14) egg hunt

**Hello everyone. I know it's been a while, but I had exams and some family emergency to deal with recently so my mind wasn't really on writing. Luckily for you I had this chapter pretty much completely finnished before christmas break so here it is.  
You know I don't own anny characters or cannon stuff.  
Warning: baymax (could be just because I'm really emotional right now of course.)  
Egg-hunt  
**The guardians found themselves standing in Jacksons bedroom.  
Little Jackson was sleeping soundly, the dream-sand above his head showed him and his friends with the unmistakable baskets in their hands.  
The sun slowly lighted more of the room and the guardians noticed a basket next to the bed with a crown woven from twigs with big leaves stuck into them.  
It would seem Jackson had made himself a pair of bunny ears. "Ah, Snowflake, I'm touched." Bunny teased, Jack smirked at him and was about to say something but was interrupted by Tooth. "Oh look! Jackson's waking up."  
 _A yawn was heard from the bed in the corner of the room where Jackson was stretching his arms, the last of the dreamsand disappearing right before he could see it. Jackson looked around not yet realizing what day it was until he noticed his egghunting equipment next to his bed.  
An exited grin appeared on the young boys face and he jumped out of bed grabbing his stuff and jumping into his closet.  
_All spirits (except Jack and Wind) looked utterly confused by this and looked from the closet to Jack and back. "Just wait and see." He smirked.  
 _Not much later sounds could be heard on the stairs followed by Jacksons fathers head popping trough the doorway. The man first frowned when he didn't spot his son at once but then smirked. He opened the door with a look of feigned confusion putting his arms in his sides.  
"Grace dear!?" He called while exaggeratedly looking around.  
"What's wrong? Can't you get him out?" Grace answered, the sound of her amused voice accompanied by that of plates and pots being moved around.  
"I can't find him. He hasn't secretly gone down has he?" Mr. Overland continued as he slowly approached the closet Jackson had disappeared into.  
"Surprise!" Jackson announced as he threw the door open and jumped out fully dressed and his bunny ears on his head, landing in his father's waiting arms._

* * *

"Whenever I got up before my parents I did this… It didn't happen too often," he admitted with a sheepish grin, earning himself chuckles from the others.  
"You and your father look very close." Sophia noted. Jack nodded.  
"He was everything that I wanted to be when I grew up." No one could miss the undertone of loss in Jacks voice. The guardians casted each other confused glances. Sure they all had left a life behind when they were changed, but Jack sounded like he still hadn't come to grips with it. He of course only knew of this family since last year but still... he shouldn't be this upset about it, should he?  
The other human spirits were as confused as the guardians. Bedtime frowned. When she first met Jack he had seemed enchanted by the idea of family, that of course should've tipped her of but she hadn't pried, a spirit's past was his business and his to share when he wanted.  
And when she heard that Jack didn't have a memory of his past until last eastern it all made sense, but with the way he spoke now…  
(Little side note, Jack had assumed that Bedtime had chosen not to spill the beans on how his story really ended (the human part that is) but fact was, because Jack didn't want it to be known, it wasn't, not even by the spirit of stories.)  
She had no idea how brutally his life had been changed, without any chance to say goodbye.

* * *

 _"There you are little trickster! I was starting to think we'd have to go hunting without you." James grinned supporting his sons weight wiht one arm while using his free hand to tickle his sons stomach. Young Jackson giggled happily trying to escape from his fathers attack.  
"Noo! Stop!" James complied and carried his boy down the stairs laughing happily along with him.  
"Morning you two. Care for breakfast before the hunt?" Grace greeted her family smiling. It was easy to see that the Overlanders felt that they were blessed to have each other. Even Jackson who was too young to really understand how lucky he was seemed appreciative of the life he had.  
_The spirits watched endeared at the picture perfect family that was enjoying breakfast together in front of them.  
Jack suppressed a chuckle at the adoring looks the girls in the room were directing at his younger self. If they found him cute just wait until they met Emma.  
 _Time stood still for the family –it really was a moment you wanted to put into a bottle and never let go –and yet it seemed that in a flash the Overlanders were standing at the edge of the hunting meadow listening to Thadeus Burges giving instructions. "Alright everyone, be nice and to the really good hunters leave some for the others! But most of all… Have fun!"_ _And at this all the children took off searching in every corner for an egg.  
_ The guardians watched impressed how Jackson sprinted from one patch of eggs to the next sometimes taking the eggs and sometimes leaving them behind for others to find them instead. Pretty soon he was satisfied with what he found and sat on the sideline watching the others.  
"Wow mate, ya are like a hare right there," Bunny whistled.  
"Thanks cottontail. I took pride in my unrivaled hunting skills." Jack grinned, an excited gleam in his eyes, it was clear that the child in Jack would never leave.  
"You have a pretty heavy load thought. I mean you didn't take everything but that's more than you could eat…" Bedtime mused.  
"Just wait a minute." Jack wove her off leaning on his staff, eyes locked on his friends. Drinking in the sight.

* * *

 _Pretty soon all the kids had stopped the hunt and Mr. Burges urged everyone to head home and prepare for tonight's party.  
Jackson first followed the crowd only a few steps behind his parents but gradually fell more and more behind. No one noticed this except Clara and Thomas who –after only a moment of hesitation- followed Jackson back to the meadow.  
"What awe you doing?" Clara asked.  
"Leaving some for the Indian kids, they probably like choclate too right?" He said as he started to hide some of his eggs. Clara and Thomas stared for a short moment and then started to hide some of their eggs as well. "No, I got some extra, you only have those!" Jackson told them.  
"Ay but we should've thought about that wirselves. Just cause wir parents dinna try to fix things doesn't mean that we shouldn't," Thomas replied as he hid one of his between some roots.  
_"Frosty… That's… That's really wonderful of ya mate." Bunny's voice was a bit shaky. Jackson hadn't known it then but this type of gesture was exactly what spring was about, giving hope. In this case, hope for peace and harmony.  
Suddenly the image turned and changed in quality, looking more like an image from a dream.  
"Here comes one of mine it seems," Wind breathed.  
 _We now see the young friends from afar. A young Indian warrior, not older than fourteen looks on curiously as the pale faces hide part of their strange colored eggs and then leave again sharing the content of some that they kept to themselves with each other. When the three friends are nowhere to be seen he whistles a strange tune, this apparently calls for the rest of his tribe. The eldest approaches the boy and asks him a question in their native tongue.  
_ "The chief asks the boy what he has seen. The boy says that it appeared to be some game to amuse the children. The children were searching for colored eggs that seemed to contain treats. He also tells them that some eggs have been left behind, perhaps for the children of the tribe." Jack translated.  
 _The Indian kids overheard what the warrior said and ran into the clearing cheering. The memory shifted back to Jack and his friends who were just able to make out the cheering and grinned at each other. Mission accomplished. The memory once again faded._


	16. 15) Spring Festival

**Okay so first of all-  
** ***Baby tooth appears*: tweeting  
** **me: Yes I know! I don't own any of the characters or their backgrounds except for my OC's. There happy?  
*Baby tooth nods*  
Okay so other than that **sparklehannah: **Thank you so much for your revieuw. I hope that I'll keep updating good chapters for you to enjoy. And** Kaitlyn: **I hope I didn't make you wait to long. Ejoy!  
Okay so a warning? Not really. It's just a dance.  
It's a realy short chapter. My appologies for that.**

 **12) Spring festival  
** The guardians were all feeling extremely proud of Jack.  
They had seen about three days of his human life and already he had shown that he was a born guardian.  
And they couldn't know this but between you and me, they had seen nothing yet.  
The image soon settled again and they could see that the town square was decorated with flowers and candles, there was a big dancefloor set up and Mrs Cloverfield, Dr Jonson and Jacksons uncle were playing music on the side. They soon spotted Jackson and his family, they seemingly had just arrived.  
Sophia, Clair, Joy, Bethany and June all started giggling. Tacha and Feya just smiled amused and the guardians were trying to hold their laughter for Jacks sake.  
They knew how he had hated to dress up for tonight and assumed that Jackson hadn't liked it either. Wind gave Jack a sympathetic look knowing how embarrassed he must feel right now. But Jack didn't seem to care (on the outside at least). He focused on the memory hoping everyone would just stop laughing and watch. They didn't.  
"Sorry Jack, you look absolutely adorable, it's just very…" Bethany started, trying to be apologetic about her behavior while whipping her eyes.  
"Hilarious! Nothing personal, all little boys look funny when put in formal clothes." June finished.  
Jack just rolled his eyes as the girls finally collected themselves and everyone paid attention to the memory.  
 _Little Jackson was fumbling with his tie,_ "why do adults want to dress so stuffy, you can't play like this," _h_ _e wondered frowning at his mother.  
Grace barely held back a laugh. Even when cross her son looked like an angel, but she knew that it was best not to annoy Jackson when he was already in a foul mood. And because of that she smiled gently, knelt down and told her son: "Just keep it on for a little bit okay? After a song or two even the adults start loosening it up. But we're new so we want to make a good first impression don't we?" Jackson looked at his mother as if she was crazy, but nodded anyway._

* * *

"I always felt adults worried about the strangest things." Jack chuckled looking at his younger self with an air of nostalgia.  
The other spirits exchanged glances. While they had been enjoying this different view on their youngest member they had also noticed that Jack had been acting odd ever since they ended up in his memories. He was so preoccupied… They had only seen brief flashes of the playful frost spirit they knew.  
There had been a few occasions in which one would see Jack reaching for his human family and friends and even himself. Everyone turned to Tooth. Was this normal?  
Tooth studied Jack's content face. She had never seen him so at peace. He was bathing in the serenity and happiness of his memories.  
Whatever caused the strange mood he was in, they would only find out by watching more. And it looked like Jack drew strength out of the memories, his aura (by lack of a better term) felt stronger.  
It wasn't doing any harm so she wouldn't try to break it off. There might be a way but it was risky, she had never done this before, she only knew that in theory she could get them out of here. But she also knew that this could have severe consequences for Jack. If he wasn't ready to leave…  
She suppressed a shudder. No, that should be avoided at all costs. She sent the others a reassuring smile. For now everything was fine.

* * *

 _Jackson looked around and spotted Clara and Thomas who smiled and waved him over.  
_ _"Hello! Have you been here for long?" Jackson asked. The two kids shook their head. Clara looked Jackson over and giggled as she pointed at his tie.  
"You look like a gwown up." Jackson huffed and looked at Thomas who had been forced to wear a tie as well. Thomas met his gaze and shrugged as if to say 'what are we going to do about it?'.  
_ _The two boys snickered and the children started talking about the egg hunt, if the Indians would find the eggs and how they celebrated eastern before they came here.  
_ _"You know in flandes the easten bunny is a hawe not a bunny." Clara said, a slightly puzzled look on her face.  
_ Bunny held his breath. Would this girl already stop believing just because of that?  
Jack just chuckled and patted his friend on the back. "Don't worry Bux, I've got your back." Before Bunny could ask what Jack meant he saw that little Jackson's eyes widened with excitement and the little boy started talking as if he'd just made the discovery of the century.  
 _"Maybe it's because they saw him! I bet he is very big, how else is he supposed to carry all the eggs?"  
_ _Clara nodded thoughtfully. "And hawes a bigge than bunny's… that makes sense."  
_ _Thomas eyes widened. "How big do you think he is?" he wondered, Jackson's eyes narrowed as he pondered the question.  
_ _"I don't know but he could be as tall as us or even as tall as my dad!" The trio glanced at the adults.  
_ Jack cocked his head to the side and then suddenly grabbed Bunny and for the first time since they started watching they walked through the memory.  
Jack stopped next to the image of his father and compared his length to bunny's. James Overland who was talking animatedly with the De Schrijvers in the memory was five foot nine inches tall. Only one inch shorter than Bunnymund. Jack smiled satisfied with the accuracy of his prediction and returned towards the others without another word. Bunny needed a brief moment to grasp what just happened and then smiled amused with Jacks antics and the value he laid in this small detail of his past. He hopped over to the others and they all focused on the children again.

* * *

 _Jackson and his friends had started chatting with Rachel about things they could do over the next few weeks.  
"Miss Celeste is a good teacher so school is over in a flash and there is a pond nearby-"  
_Only Wind noticed how Jack subconsciously tensed. He loved that pond as a child and he had called it his home for all his immortal years, but ever since he discovered why he was born there the thought of it was somewhat bittersweet.  
 _"We came here at the start of summer and on nice days it's perfect for swimming. And it freezes over in the winter, so you can also skate on it. Right Thomas?" Thomas nodded. His family had come to the town along with Jacksons uncle. They had met on the boat, there had been a whole lot of trouble involved, but the children were all too young to really understand it. All they really knew was that at the end of it all Thomas family was without a place to settle and Jacksons uncle had offered them to join his settlement.  
_ _"And of course there is the forest we can play in. But we have to be careful when we do, forests mean animals and there is a creepy booman cave."  
_ Everyone froze (save Jack and Wind) and turned to Jack, he noticed their worried expressions and guessed what they wanted to know.  
"Yes and yes." He smirked as he said this, which somewhat soothed their worries. If he smiled about it, it hadn't been too bad.  
 _"It is really scary, no one, not even the adults dare to enter. So stay as far away from it." Rachel looked at the other children sternly to make sure that they understood how serious she was._ _All the children looked a bit intimidated, even Jackson, although he also had a very faint glint of curiosity in his eyes.  
_ _"_ No I didn't." Jack answered before Tooth, who had turned to him with a motherly anger/concern, could speak the words already building in her throat.  
She squinted her eyes before deciding she believed him and turned back to the memory.

* * *

 _Just then a new song started. Jackson grinned and pulled both Rachel and Clara –who grabbed Thomas' arm- to the dance floor and started dancing.  
The adults noticed that the children had taken the stage and joined them.  
_ _Soon the whole village was dancing and laughing, save the orkest and Mr. Stanford who had a very faint glint in his eyes.  
_ "I knew it!" Clair cheered as they all saw Jackson going from one dance partner to the other, even little Steve was taken from his mothers arms for a dance (well more Jackson gently rocking him so his parents could dance). The guardians watched as the night went on, everyone dancing and every now and then the orkest would break out in a song.  
 _Jackson danced with his friends and his family, and at some point dragged Miss Cloverfield away from her violin for a dance.  
When they were done Jackson insisted she should dance with his Uncle who could give the Guitar to Dr. Jonson and Jackson would take the Tambourine. The next song he lured the doctor to the dancefloor as well insisting that humming the tune would work fine. And that's how the entire village was dancing and singing and laughing._

* * *

 _Well I say the whole village, but on the sideline sat Mr. Stanford, clapping along and somewhat smiling. Jackson saw this and walked towards the elder man.  
_ _"You don't like the songs?" Jackson wondered. The man looked at him with a smile. The kind you see an old man give a child, almost envious of the latter's innocence and youth. He stroked Jacksons unruly hair and said: "I'm too old to dance my boy."  
Jackson frowned at that statement, looking the man over. To Jackson the man was of course ancient but in reality he was only halfway his thirties.  
And Jackson might be young but he knew that Mr. Stanford should still be able to dance. Jackson turned his gaze to the man's eyes and suddenly understood what the man meant. In the older man's eyes he saw an ancient soul, aged mainly by grieve.  
_ _"I hope I'll never get as old as you." He said with a bluntness that belonged with his age.  
_ _Mr. Stanford almost chuckled. "So do I."  
_ _Jackson cocked his head thinking hard and then he gave Mr. Stanford a hug totally catching the poor man of guard.  
After a few moment_ _s of hesitation the hug was returned.  
_ _No one on the dancefloor had noticed that Jackson had left. Only Jacksons friends and family had witnessed the exchange.  
_ _Thadeus smiled hopefully, Clara and Thomas looked astonished, and Jacksons parents just smiled knowing that this was just how their boy was.  
_ _Always caring and always helping. Jackson broke away from the hug to join the party again not looking back. Giving Mr. Stanford a moment to himself.  
_ But Jack could see, probably thanks to Wind's additions that the man who would come to mean so much to him whipped away a tear and absentmindedly stroked something that was in the pocked of his vest. The spirits around him had become a bit misty eyed.  
The memory faded


	17. 16) Prince of michief

**Well I must say I'm pretty happy with myself. This is faster than usual. I hope you guys like it. As always I have to say that I don't own anything here. Thanks for the lovely revieuws (you know who you are) It was really wonderfull to read.  
warning: baymax**

 **16) prince of mischief.  
** This time several memories flashed by, like in a montage.  
 _They saw Jackson and his friends in class as they were taught math and how to read.  
Then they saw everyone spending a day at the lake, swimming and having a picnic.  
Jackson, Clara and Thomas spying on Brandon who was talking with a girl that they hadn't seen yet.  
_"She's from a nearby settlement, her family is one of the trade partners of the Stevens. And she always came along when they visited." Jack explained grinning. The others nodded in understanding.  
 _Then they saw them running away after being caught, nearly taking down half the villagers in the process. Eventually Thomas caught the boys and started play fighting with them.  
Next the children were climbing on one another trying to reach the apples hanging in the tree.  
Mr. Stanford walked by, saw them and when they fell on a heap with not even one apple to show for their trouble there was suddenly a basket full of them right next to the trees trunk.  
Then fall came and the kids were making big piles of leaves to jump into. Once again they saw Mr. Stanford in the background, this time however he seemed displeased with the mess they were making.  
The group came past a cave that was definitely too scary to enter  
_"See, even I know where to draw the line," Jack said pointing to the look of distrust on his younger selves face. The guardians felt a lot better. Last thing they needed was seeing Pitch cause any harm to younger Jack. Moon knows the guardians' rage wouldn't be a pretty sight.  
When the memory shifted again Jack and North became extra exited. It looked like Christmas eve.

* * *

 _Jackson was carefully hanging up his sock, readjusting the milk and cookies and placing the little paper with his first self-written note for Santa. He looked proudly at his work and then went to make sure the Christmas tree was perfect. While he was doing this his parents stood against the counter looking amused at his inspection.  
"What do you think Jackson? Do we pass the test?" James asked jokingly.  
Jackson however looked like he did not find this a laughing matter.  
"Dad! This is our first Christmas here! Santa needs to like our new house as much as our old house! Or else maybe he won't give us any presents at all!"  
_North looked a bit insulted. "Sorry North. I was four, almost five at the time. I worried too much… about these type of things at least," he added when he saw the doubtful looks the others send him.  
 _Jacksons parents were clearly torn between laughing at their sons behavior or consoling him.  
Soon thought they sat themselves beside Jackson, laying comforting hands on his shoulders.  
"Of course he'll like it here." His mother assured him. "Your mother is right. Now the real question is have you been nice enough to get a present or will you get yourself coal? Well?" At this James and Grace started a tickle fight with Jackson. After a bit they were all lying on the floor laughing like a bunch of kids. "Well honey," Grace said as she finally regained her self-control. "Time for bed." Jackson looked at the tree and then nervously turned to his parents.  
"Can I sleep on the couch tonight? I won't try to see him, promise. I just…"  
"Want to see if he came very first thing in the morning right?" James grinned before turning to have a silent conversation with his wife. After a bid they both nodded, to Jacksons relieve. They tucked him in and went to their bedroom. Jackson fell asleep pretty much the moment the door closed.  
What felt like only moments later but probably was several hours they could hear Norths sleigh.  
_"Vell, is vierd," North murmured as he saw himself enter the tiny house, with a bit of difficulty.  
Joy giggled and the elementals snorted, the rest tried to hide their amusement a bit harder as they saw the past version of the giant Russian trying to squeeze himself through the too small doorway.  
 _The big figure looked around and noticed the boy sleeping on the couch. Sandy's dreamsand displaying a ship sailing a rough sea.  
North tiptoed to the fireplace, and read the letter while munching on a cookie.  
"First letter I see. Hm… let's see if ve can find…" He searched through his bag and found what he was looking for. A brand new leather ball.  
_"Just remember… You and friends did not communicate about vhat to ask per chance?" the present North asked the grown Jack.  
"A little. Since we all would play with the presents we thought we should make sure that we didn't get anything double. Brian asked for a game of chess and Rachel wanted a storybook. We all agreed that we should ask for at least a few things that could be used indoors. I covered sport, a ball could be used for many games. Thomas asked for a kite. And Clara asked for drawing utensils, since we thought it would be cool to record our adventures in an illustrated book. She could draw really good. She taught me, but I was rubbish in faces and people so she did the characters and I did the backgrounds, Thomas had the nicest handwriting of us three, so he wrote the story's down." Jack suddenly realized that he had been talking far more than necessary to answer the question and blushed a bit at the stares he received. He couldn't help it. His childhood adventures excited him.  
 _In the memory North had finished placing the presents under the tree. He walked by the sleeping boy and softly stroked his hair. The dreamsand was showing an intense swordfight between Jackson and a pirate. North chuckled.  
"Somethimes, I vish you kids vould never have to grow up. But, is part of life." With that the man left the room, continuing his round. Once again it seemed like only a moment had passed, but the fire was out and light came from the window. Jackson stirred, the dreamsand dissolving above his head.  
He got up, looked around and then, suddenly wide awake, jumped out of the couch running towards the tree. "He came!" He yelled looking at the packages excitedly. Shortly after that his parents came down whipping the last bits of sleep from their eyes.  
_The spirits watched as the family opened their presents and as the children of the village shared their new toys and later saw the whole village eating Christmas dinner together.

* * *

 _Then they stood in Jackson's bedroom. His windows were frosted, not the beautiful fern patterns everyone had gotten used to the past three hundred years of course.  
_ "Oi, we're skipping pretty fast trough this year."  
Jack nodded. "My life only got interesting when I was five. So I guess… Wait a minute, I think this is my birthday!" Jack's eyes gleamed with excitement and he was nearly jumping from joy causing the spirits to laugh. But Jack was trying to calculate something in his mind. If this was his fifth birthday, then it would be only three months until the big surprise. So how many memories till then?  
 _Jacksons parents entered his room carrying a tray with a birthday cake that had five lit candles._  
 _They were smiling proudly at their sleeping son.  
"Good morning Jackson. Time to get up…" Jackson stirred and slowly opened his eyes.  
He noticed the cake and his face lit up.  
"Happy birthday." His parents chorused settling at his bed so he could blow out his candles.  
"Make a wish," Grace urged. Jackson closed his eyes and blew as hard as he could.  
All the candles went out earning him a loud applause. The memory shifted to the evening.  
_"Hey!" Sophia complained.  
"Vat bout rest birthday?" North wondered.  
"All I can think of is that Jack either doesn't think it's relevant or doesn't want to share it," Tooth mused. "What do you mean?" Jack asked, surely if all he had to do was not want to share they would back by now. "Well if on your birthday something happened that you wanted to keep private at any cost, we wouldn't be able to see it. These are your memories. They will always respond to you first and foremost. It's not like you can just think, 'I don't want to share my memories' and that's it. We could see what we saw because you are not really opposed to us seeing it." Jack nodded, well at least no one would see the things he really didn't want to share, and he wouldn't have to relive the memories he didn't want to relive.  
 _This part of the memory was also different, they could not hear clearly what was said, they could only hear excited chattering as Jackson showed of his new toys and played with the kids until…  
A snowball hit Grace in the back of her head accompanied by Jacksons voice.  
"Free for all!" And there you had it. Burges' very first free for all snowball fight. Everyone was having fun. It was chaos, and you could not tell who had hit who.  
Until Jackson in his excitement hit the one person who wasn't joining in on the fun in the back.  
Mr. Stanford whirled around to see who did that, his eyes locking with Jacksons.  
The child was confused. Why is Mr. Stanford mad? The man decided that the boy had meant it well and just turned around continuing his way back to his home.  
_The guardians turned from the disappointed face of Jackson to Jack, who looked like he wanted to help the younger him. But he couldn't. Lucky for him someone else's snowball hit little him, effectively distracting him from what he knew to be the umpteenth failed attempt to get Mr. Stanford to have fun.

* * *

 _Again some time had been skipped. Spring was back and it seemed to be an exceptionally sunny day for this early in the year.  
_ "Its march," Jackson offered. "My birthday was the second of January."  
 _Finally the scene became recognizable as Burge's main square.  
People were walking around carrying supplies for constructions or tonight's dinner.  
When suddenly a shout was heard  
"A'll wring yer thrapple for this Jackson, if A get ma hands on ye!"  
_The spirits recognized Brian's voice and were a bit confused in the last few memories the teenager had seemed to be rather fond of Jackson. What had the boy done to earn death treats?  
Jack was just smiling, first mischievous then a little sad. He missed these kind of things. After a while the genuine chase would always become a game for Brian as much as it was for him. And of course he would get caught and subjected to tickle torture eventually but he loved it.  
 _Now three small figures were seen sprinting trough the village chased by a taller one who was slowed by the many obstacles and the fact that he was drenched in water and covered in flowers.  
"We may have gone too far this time Jackson." Clara's voice came from one of the muddy/ flowered smaller figures.  
"Ay, ma brother is bealin." Thomas said.  
"Nonsense he's been trying to impress Vanessa for how long? It was time he actually did something. He'll thank us soon enough. We went through a lot of trouble to get her flowers."  
_Everyone stared at Jack. He was only five in this memory but this already was a serious prank.  
"What?" Jack asked them. "It made her laugh! Give it time, mini me is right." _  
"Fine but what do we do in the mean time?" Clara asked frantically.  
"Split up and hide… NOW!" Jackson yelled.  
_ _And the three friends shot apart. The guardians watched as Brian followed Jackson who darted into the woods only to reappear out of them right after Brian entered. He dove behind a bunch of bushes that stood near one of the houses.  
_ "I had worked on that hiding spot all year. In fact the whole village was filled with my secret hiding spots," Jack told the others. Indeed the space behind the bushes was dug out to make the space larger and more comfortable to sit in.

* * *

 _As Jackson looked through the branches to see when Brian reappeared from the woods, the backdoor that stood right next to the bushes opened. Jackson could only just prevent himself from screaming in surprise and looked up to Mr. Stanford who was leaning against the doorframe.  
_ _"May I ask what you have done this time to aggravate poor Brian Mc Falcon?"  
_ _Jackson was surprised to find that Mr. Stanford was amused by the situation. Not only that but he was staring at the edge of the forest, this meant that he didn't want Brian to find Jacksons hiding spot.  
_ _"Nothing just showered him and Vanessa with flowers." He said as innocently as he could.  
_ _"Mr. Stanford!" Brian had emerged from the woods only slightly calmer than he had entered. Not by far calm enough for Jackson to feel comfortable showing his face again.  
_ _"Dear boy, are those three at it again?" Mr. Stanford asked. Brian nodded feeling better due to the sincere sympathy in the older man's voice.  
_ _"You seem to be a favorite of theirs. You should get changed. It may be warm but you can still catch a cold." This made Brian jump to attention and forget all about his chase.  
_ "He brought some dry clothes to Vanessa as well. She had been a little too close to the line of fire… She found it absolutely charming that he was so concerned for her health." Jack said the last bit in a horrible imitation of a woman's voice. Causing everyone to laugh.  
 _"He's gone but you better get inside for a bit, until he's completely calmed down." Mr. Stanford let Jackson in and after closing the door he took a good look at him.  
_ _"You have gotten your clothes wet and dirty as well. Your mother will have my head if I don't do something about that." He was muttering this more to himself than to Jackson and slowly, almost hessitantly, turned towards a suitcase. Jackson looked around and saw an old army uniform hanging on the wall.  
_ _"Wow! Where you a soldier Mr. Stanford?" He asked excitedly.  
_ _"Actually I was a captain, but yes, I have served my country." It took him quite a while to reach the suitcase. "Ca- capta-in J.R. Sta- stanford." Jackson read the name plate.  
_ _"Celeste has a great student in you." Jackson shook his head.  
_ _"Letters are easier to recognize when you already know what's supposed to be there. What do the J and the R stand for?" Mr. Stanford had given up on trying to open the suitcase and sat on it instead, facing Jackson, he almost seemed relieved at the delay answering the boys questions brought. "Jonathan and Robin. Usually your second name is that of a relative but in my case… my mother named me after a bird because she hoped this would bring good luck." Jackson thought about it.  
_ _"Like the Indians? I heard they have names like 'brave bear'. Rachel says that's because they hope a child with a name like that will live up to it and become brave and strong."  
_ _"It is true that many tribes give their children animal like names, but mostly only after they have gone through a rite of passage at a certain age that's also when they gain their first feather, after every accomplishment they get another one added to their crown. But before they reach that age of say twelve they are given other names. Like 'Olathe'" Jackson nodded.  
_ _"How do you know so much about them?" he asked curiously. As answer Jonathan gestured towards the many books on the shelves. "Fear comes from a lack of knowledge, we fear darkness because in darkness lies the unknown." Jackson nods again eagerly sucking in all this information.  
_ _"Did it work? Your name I mean. Did it bring you luck?" Mr. Stanford immediately saddened because of this. "No, not much… It did at first, but then after I was send on my first mission abroad… things started to go wrong." Noticing that he had an alert audience in Jackson he continued his story._

* * *

 _"I… Had everything a man could ask for when I left my home for the first time. A wonderful wife, a healthy young son and a good sturdy house. I also had many friends among my comrades. But I was more flexible and had a natural leaders instinct, much like you seem to have. So I made promotion quicker than the others. No one blamed me. Especially Henry, my closest friend, who said that he'd follow me anywhere and that he was glad he wouldn't have to lay his life in anyone else's hands.  
_ _I won't tell you everything we went through together, at least not when you are still so young…  
_ _But one day… nothing could be done about it… I returned home alone."  
_ Not a sound was heard, both in the memory and among it's witnesses was absolute silence as the implications of this statement sunk in.  
 _"I was left with an injury that would forever prevent me from part taking in the field again, some medals for bravery and self-sacrifice for myself and for my comrades' widows. And also a hefty load of nightmares I won't ever wish upon anyone, not even my greatest enemy. And when I arrived, expecting to at least be greeted by my wife and now ten year old son… I came upon a burned down house. My wife and son had died a few months before, due to some illness that had plagued the area, nothing I could've done about it, and my house… my neighbors had tried to take care of it but lightning had struck… again nothing I could've done about it… that's when I decided to move as far away from my homeland as possible. I got a job in a local bar, saved money for a year and left.  
_ _Which brought me to a boat heading for the new world, where I met your uncle and the Mc Falcons.  
_ _I knew they would need some help, they were all idealists.  
_ _I could be the realist they'd need to survive and build a life. So now… let's see if I can find some of my sons old clothing that fits you. It was all packed for me by my neighbors and stored at their house before the fire. Very nice people…" the memory faded._

* * *

Jack knew that this wasn't the end of that memory of course but the next part was between him and Mr. Stanford (so I won't tell you about it either. Sorry).  
"Oh" Tooth gasped, tears flowing over her cheeks. June and Bethany weren't much better off.  
Joy was… a mess, she had fallen to her knees and was sobbing uncontrollably.  
Bunny and North were subtly leaning onto each other for support and Sandy was wondering if he'd ever get used to hearing about or seeing misery.  
The elementals were feeling guilty, truth was, if you were an elemental you sometimes caused this type of pain, but hearing about it was hard, in this case especially for Feya. Sure she hadn't taken away his comrades or his family but she had destroyed this man's house. Not intentionally, her flames were sometimes even for her untamable. It was her job. Bring warmth, bring light, bring hope, bring comfort… and destruction.  
She felt Jacks arms around her. "I know what you're thinking. I've been there, but it's not your fault." She returned the hug gratefully, crying softly for a short while.  
When she had recollected herself she smiled up at him. "Thanks," she said softly as they let go of each other.  
"No problem. Everyone okay? Joy?" Jack looked at the spirit of emotions and saw that Wind was next to her whispering something to her. Joy seemed to wake up from a dream at the mention of her name. "Huh? Oh yeah… I just… get very invested on moments like this," she explained.  
Everyone else declared that they were feeling much better.  
"Seems we are in need of a happier memory." Jack declared as he pointed to the space in front of them that was showing Jackson in a fresh set of clothes carrying his own clothes in a bag, careful not to get any dirt on his borrowed set.


	18. 17) Surprise!

**I'm so terribly sorry, it's been excruciating long I know. I hope you'll like the chapter.  
It's not very long I would've loved to give you something big to make up for lost time but I couldn't drag this out either. So next chapter is a real apology chapter. Promise!  
Quick shout out to Guestspirit who introduced me to an OC of his who I'll be adding to my cast of characters as soon as I can. Until then I hope that you're not too mad about the long wait.  
Enjoy! Oh and I don't own anything plus this chapter got the minion seal.  
PS thank you Ugly-Duckling123 for pointing out that my pacing didn't look quite right. Hope this is better.**

 **17)surprise**  
 _Jackson was going home so he could get changed as fast as possible. He swiftly waved to Clara and Thomas as he passed their houses.  
They had made it home already and were about to get a bath. They send him excited grins, evidence that it was all worth the fun they'd had.  
_"Look at you corrupting innocent little kids," June teased.  
Jack raised his hands and bowed his head in mock regret. "Guilty as charged, but not sorry at all." _  
As Jack entered the house his parents were waiting for him, fresh clothes at the ready and he was pretty sure the bath was prepared as well.  
"You heard?" he asked innocently. James chuckled, receiving a poke from Grace.  
"Don't encourage him. Yes we did, I doubt there is anyone in the village who hasn't seen you three." Then she noticed her son's clean attire.  
"Where did you get those?" Jackson looked at his clothes.  
"Mr. Stanford said I could borrow them, but I must return them as soon as possible," Jackson told his parents who shared a look.  
"He gave you these? Did he tell you who they belonged to?" Grace asked concerned. Jackson nodded.  
But if you don't know I won't tell." He stated firmly._  
 _His parents smiled, whatever he was told, it didn't seem to have shocked him too much.  
_

* * *

 _The memory faded for a moment to reveal Jackson toweling his hair dry, dressed in new clothes.  
"Jackson you done? Your mother and I need to talk to you." Jacksons father called.  
_ _'Am I in trouble? Did I accidently tear some of the clothes and is Mr. Stanford mad about it now?'  
_ _Jackson wondered as he descended the stairs. His parents sat on the couch and made room for him to sit in between them. This made Jackson relax.  
If it was something bad they would want him to sit in front of them and they wouldn't be smiling.  
As he sat down his parents looked at each other nervously.  
"Jackson… you know that we love you very much and that we couldn't ask for a better son?" Mrs. Overland started. Jackson nodded curiously.  
"But how would you feel… if we would get another child?" Mr. Overland added.  
_"A sibling!? Oh, Jack is this true?" Tooth asked excitedly. This was exactly the type of good news she needed after the sad story of Mr. Stanford.  
Jack nodded. "I'm a big brother," he declared causing many squeals from most of the female spirits.  
The prospect of a baby playing a more prominent role in future memories seemed like the best thing that could've happened in this hole experience.  
 _"A baby brother?" Jackson asked, clearly excited. "Or sister," Mrs. Overland added hurriedly.  
"That would be so cool! When can I have it? Should I ask it for Christmas?" Jackson asked. His parents chuckled.  
"Actually… ehm… he or she is on the way. Your sibling should arrive at the end of the summer or the start of fall." James explained, looking at his wife for help since he didn't know how to answer the possible follow up questions, but Jackson jumped up.  
"Can I tell my friends right away?" His parents sighed in relieve. Happy that they wouldn't have to explain the process of pregnancy to their four year old son just yet. "Sure you can." And just like that, Jackson was off to tell anyone he could get to listen that he was going to be a big brother.  
He found his friends and Brian at the Mc Falcon house, Rachel was there too as was Vanessa.  
"Jackson there ya are ya little-" But Brian didn't get the time to finish his teasing threats as Jackson exclaimed as loud as he could:  
"Mom and Dad say I'll be a big brother by fall!" This elected excited cheers and congratulations from his friends and a few adults that were close by, who then hurried to the Overland house to see if they could help.  
"Brian can you teach me to be the bestest big brother!?" Brian was stupefied. After a few moments he turned to Vanessa.  
"See what A mean? Ye're determined tha give tha bloke a scolding and he says something like this." Vanessa chuckled and, after swiftly checking if her parents were gone, gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
"I think it's sweet that he looks up to you." Brian became scarlet.  
"Well… A suppose someone should give him advice. And explain what's going on. A reckon your parents didn't tell ya how ya little sibling is coming here did they?" Jackson shook his head.  
_Joy snorted, "You got the talk from your best friends brother?"  
"Not exactly, and I think he was just trying to show Vanessa how well he could talk to children about grown up stuff. You know to show he'd be a good father.  
I believe it worked too. They did get married in the end…" he broke of realizing he had started thinking aloud. "Eh, spoiler alert?"  
Everyone laughed at that. Jack was never this hair brained before. The memory of becoming a big brother must've really gotten to him. _  
"Well, ya know how birds lay eggs and that's where baby birds come from?" Jackson nodded.  
"Well with humans that egg grows inside the mither until the baby is ready to come out. So yer mom's belly is going to grow a lot until the baby is born. And she'll need ya tha help her when she is too tired or sore to do certain things. Being a good big brither starts with being a good son." Jackson nodded, determined to be the best big brother that ever lived.  
_

* * *

The spirits smiled at the scene and congratulated Jack.  
"It's almost too bad that we'll probably have to wait a couple of memories before we get to see if you actually become the 'bestest' big brother," Bedtime said teasingly. Jack rolled his eyes.  
"I promise that every single one will be entertaining and that my younger sibling is worth the wait."  
Everyone frowned, except North, Wind and Bethany. It didn't seem like Jack was going to tell them the gender of the youngest Overland before the time was there.  
The memory shifted.


	19. 18) The cave

**Once again it's not that long but I hope that you guys enjoy it. This update luckily didn't take as long as the previous one. The next one shouldn't take that long either but after that it might be a while again. I'm going to write a short companion story for my story Avengers unite. And this one takes a lot of research and fact checking. BTW I don't know if my depiction of settlers is exactly right but I figured that it might have happened on occasion.  
Disclaimer yadidadida, and warning: Not exactly minions but it's nothing hardcore.**

 **18) The cave  
** The swirling reality split up in several memories that seemed to pass them by.  
They saw Jackson giving his mother soft pillows for her back, taking shores out of her hands and making her sit in a chair.  
All to the amusement of both Grace and the gathered spirits. They also saw him help his father around the house and a few attempts to climb the nearby mountain with him. Though he was send back home every time.  
"Vhere are sheep? I thought your father vas Shepherd?" North wondered when they saw James travel to the mountain with a few other men, not all from Burges.  
"Moon, I forgot about the Montagu family," Jack groaned before explaining the situation.  
"They were a noble family from Britain.  
They owned the area and in exchange for letting all of us settle there, not just Burges but most of the villages in the area, we were to build their mansion.  
Well the men of our villages. I was too young at the time. Though I helped out later."  
Wind laughed softly at the disdain in Jacks voice. "They weren't that bad," she reminded him.  
"Maybe not but they looked down on us regardless," he grumbled to everyone's amusement.  
"You can't mean that you are still mad about that after over three hundred years?" Joy giggled.  
"Actually I only just remembered they were there and how much that used to bother me," Jack corrected.  
Joy thought this over for a few moments and then shrugged as if saying 'fair enough.'  
Then the box seemed to have found a memory it wanted to show in more detail. As one of the sceneries became bigger and showed Jackson giving his mother a cup of tea before taking off.  
"Yah mom finally got tired of ya didn't she?" Bunny guessed.  
Jack blushed. "She might have said something along those lines…" he admitted.

* * *

 _Jackson sprinted through the woods. Expertly dodging low hanging branches and jumping over roots and rocks eventually reaching a clearing where the other children were playing with the leather ball he'd gotten for Christmas. He joined the game and caught the ball Clara had kicked in his direction, passing it on to Rebecca, who passed it on to Brian and so on.  
The game continued, even when the older kids returned home for their chores the youngest kept playing straying from the safety of the clearing unthinkingly.  
_Tooth worriedly fluttered her wings, watching the children wander deeper into the forest. She looked to Jack for reassurance but his nervous expression did the exact opposite.  
Sandy just had to wonder about Jack's bravery didn't he?  
 _Thomas kicked missed his kick so Clara ran to save it but put too much force behind it causing the ball to bounce of the trees and into a dark cave.  
The three children froze. That was their only good ball.  
And it was now rolling deeper and deeper into the dreaded boogieman cave.  
The three friends looked at each other, all clearly terrified of the darkness that waited there.  
"What should we do?" Clara asked her friends looking at the cave, torn by her wish to get their ball back and her fear of the boogieman.  
_The girls emotions could also be heard by the audience, who could also see the faint shadow slip into the cave. "If tha mongrel lays even one of his greasy fingers on yah or yah mates I'll punch him into next Eastern! I don't care if it's been centuries." Jack smiled appreciating how far he and Bunny had come the past few months. Perhaps someday soon he could explain to Bunny what really happened in '68. Perhaps come spring when he visits the warden to help with the eggs.

* * *

 _Jackson looked to the cave and then straightened his back and stepped in the direction of the cave with determination._ "Jack! I thought you said you didn't go in there!" Tooth scolded.  
Jack smirked at her in an attempt to comfort her.  
"I meant I didn't go in to investigate. This is to retrieve our ball. I wasn't happy about it."  
 _Thomas grabbed Jackson's coat. "What are ye doing ye gowk?" he demanded.  
_ _Jackson_ looked at his friend with the most serious face anyone had ever seen on him.  
 _"Getting our ball back. I'm not gonna let the boogieman have it."  
_ The spirits groaned. "Jack while that's admirable of you, are you completely crazy?" Natasha wondered. Sandy pulled Jacks sleeve and signed to him that he better not have gotten himself in trouble. Jack smiled at the small man. "I'll be fine. I'm here aren't I?"  
The others took little comfort from that statement.  
 _"Jack that's too dangerous. We don't need that ball that badly!" Clara stated.  
_ _But Jackson shook his friend of and ran to the cave. "I'll be right back! He promised his friends."  
_ The audience followed Jackson into the dark cave. Of course as luck would have it the Ball had rolled just a tiny bit over the edge of the small pool of light that reached inside the cave."I'm going to have a firm talk with Fate and Chance when this is over," Bedtime grunted.  
Several other spirits nodded in agreement.  
"It's not their fault. Pitch might've pulled the ball over that edge," Jack objected.  
This only angered his company more, although now it was directed at the spirit of fear.  
Jack regretted bringing up Pitch, he hoped no one would actually act on those feelings.  
He had the impression that Jane had a hard enough time as it was. She didn't need all of them to gang up on her father right now.  
 _Jackson looked around and spotted the ball, but did not immediately go for it. He looked at the darkness in front of him.  
"It's alright," he whispered to himself. "It's just shadows. It's just a spot the light can't reach because something's in the way. Shadows are fun, they can't harm you," he mumbled reassuringly as he slowly stepped towards the ball.  
_ _"It's like Mr. Stanford said. Fear is just a result of uncertainty. I'm afraid because I don't know what's hiding here."  
As he spoke that last statement the fear in his voice all but disappeared. He reached the ball and picked it up.  
As he turned around he didn't see the pale hand coming out of the shadows behind him.  
_ _"Jackson! What's taking so long?" As Jackson looked up the hand grabbed, but passed right through him. He ran out of the cave leaving a seething figure behind.  
_

* * *

"Jack, I thought you believed in the Boogieman?" Joy wondered beyond relieved that Pitch had failed to snatch the younger version of her friend.  
"I did, I just… wasn't afraid of him… Hm, guess believing in him doesn't make you see him."  
Jack wondered if this was because Pitch was only partly a spirit and mostly a feeling.  
Perhaps they could only affect you if you were already afraid…  
"Well I'm relieved you weren't. Moon knows what that low life would've done with you otherwise!"  
Sophie exclaimed. Jack nodded, what indeed. Why was he surrounded with so much darkness when he woke up? He suddenly wondered.  
Was it because he nearly drowned… No the darkness was a bit too frightening… Was Pitch there? If so why had he never approached Jack afterwards?  
Questions he probably should ask Jane when they got out of here.  
 _"Finally!" Clara sighed when Jack left the cave.  
_ _"We were about to follow you in!" she stated, and Jackson and the audience believed her.  
_ _"Did you see the Boogieman?" Thomas whispered worriedly. As if he thought that by speaking the name too loud he'd be calling his attention on them.  
_ _"No, but I felt him," Jackson whispered, unable to explain the sensation any better.  
_ _"In that case let's all agree that we never come near this place ever again shall we?" The boys nodded and they shook hands on it.  
_ _"I should get back home now. Mom is probably going to start worrying about where I am by now," Jackson said as he noticed the slowly setting sun.  
_ _"Yeah, we don't want the boogieman to follow us home," Clara stated wisely.  
_ _And as the friends walked home the memory faded._


	20. 19)Growing up

**Hello again. Took me a while didn't it? On the positive side this chapter is quite a bit longer than the last. Hope you like it!**

 **19)Growing up  
** _The scenery settled on a late spring day. Most trees had all their leaves and all the eastern candy had been eaten. Jackson and his friends were playing a game of tag in the village square when they heard a carriage arriving. The children stopped their game as the adults flocked together to see who'd come to their little town. The carriage opened and out came a well-dressed gentlemen who assisted his lavishly clothed wife as she followed him out. The children giggled only to be hushed by Brian. Little Steve, now two years old, gleefully repeated the gesture making the kids laugh louder.  
_ "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you all to the lovely Montagu family," Jack said with an exaggerated gesture towards the carriage.  
The spirits couldn't help but laugh especially at the woman's face when she noticed that she had put her fancy shoes in the mud. Luckily for her it wasn't too deep. Laughter came to a stop however when they saw how she looked at the giggling children, or more precisely their dirty clothes.  
As if this told her all she needed to know about their parents. Especially the guardians of childhood were deeply offended by that stare. No one should look that way at children who had fun, it did not bode well for the situation her own children lived in.  
"Told you they looked down on us. They didn't bully us, don't get me wrong, but they clearly thought they had earned the right to 'rule' us because they were born into nobility. So much for the American dream huh." Jack shook his head at the memory.  
 _Jackson didn't look at the woman however, he had more interest in the carriage for he could've sworn he'd seen at least one person still inside. In his usual spontaneous way he ran to the carriage and opened the door to look inside before anyone could stop him. And to his excitement there were three kids who greeted him. Well greeted is perhaps too big a word. They were staring at him with raised eyebrows. Not that it bothered Jackson at all.  
"Hello! Welcome to Burges! I'm Jackson what's your name?" He asked nicely offering his hand to the youngest child. A girl his age, who looked taken aback and curious.  
_The spirits could see that the mother was about to chase the shepherds son away from her precious daughter, but she was stopped by her husband who returned her attention to their conversation with Jackson's uncle and the other men of the village.  
With probably some help from Wind they could hear what he told her.  
 _"They should practice talking with other kids their age. Preferably ones from other backgrounds. It's good for them."_ This warmed everyone up to the father. At least he tried.  
The mother begrudgingly went along with it and continued to talk about harvest and things like that while the spirits returned their attention to the kids.  
 _The girl was about to take Jacksons hand when her brothers interrupted.  
"God, Alexandra you are not going to actually take that dirty hand of his are you?" The first, about nine years old interrupted. "Who knows where it's been?" The other, maybe twelve, added.  
Jackson looked at his hand curiously. It was a little dirty. "Sorry, I guess it can't be helped when you're playing outside. Me and my friends are playing tag. You want to join?" He said reaching out his hand once again. Alexandra hesitated and looked at her own hand and clothes and then at Jackson. It was obvious they lived in different worlds. Her hesitation elected laughter from her brothers.  
"Jonathan my dear brother, I'm afraid our sister is actually considering this," The youngest said dramatically. Causing his sister to quickly tuck her hands in her lap quickly, blushing.  
"Oliver, please, stop embarrassing her in front of her boyfriend," Jonathan mock berated.  
This deepened Alexandra's blush, now more with anger than with embarrassment.  
"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped. "I was merely trying to be polite to one of fathers new employees. He says we shouldn't harm their pride." This struck Jackson, who'd been merely annoyed by the brothers until this point, and he pulled his hand back.  
"I'm not an employee," he corrected her, angered but still trying to be polite.  
"Well perhaps not yet. But as soon as you can be useful you will be." She said decidedly.  
"You mean I'll help my father do the things yours is to stuck up to do? Sure and I'll be happy to do so. There is no shame in hard work. I just wanted to be nice because I thought it would be fun to make a new friend. But I can see that stuck up people like you only need your money as company."  
Before Alexandra could say anything he turned to Clara and tapped her arm.  
"You're it!" he shouted in delight, all signs of anger or annoyance gone. Which made Alexandra feel oddly dismissed. Not that she would show that. It would only lead to more teasing from her brothers. With secret longing she observed the towns children playing while she was stuck in the carriage with her jesting brothers.  
_"Do you guys think I was too harsh on her?" Jack wondered. Seeing it from this side he suddenly wasn't too sure if he'd done the right thing at the time.  
"Jack, you vhere trying to be nice. She chose brothers approval more important than making friends. Not your fault," North insisted with a comforting arm around the young spirit. He gently squeezed the boy's shoulders before letting go. Feya looked at the swirling mass of memories thoughtfully.  
"Who is she to you Jack? There must be a reason we are seeing this right?" Jack shrugs. The fire spirit had a point. "Oh, maybe it's for my question?" Claire asked.  
"I mean if he didn't get a girlfriend maybe this is the closest to it? Girls like that always want the one they can't have." Jack frowned.  
"How do you mean, girls like that? Entitled?" Claire rolled her eyes.  
"Try oppressed. She wanted to play but she was bullied into rejecting you.  
When she grows up she'll be faced with this more often than not. And at some point she'll be a teenager and she'll want to rebel against that. And every girl falls for someone they think they can't have at some point. It's part of life." Jack stared at Claire in disbelief. He now remembered occasions when he was older when he would be working for Alexandra's father and her friends would act idiotic around him and his friends. But Alexandra had never partaken in this, so Claire must be wrong right?  
At that point the memory shifted they saw time go by as flashes of Jack playing with his friends and waiting for his new sibling flew by. New houses popped up here and there and Jacks group of friends grew, though Thomas and Clara where there through it all.  
Then a memory settled. The trees where losing their leaves and Jackson was running through the town in a panic. Eventually he knocked frantically on the door of one of the newer houses.  
Mrs. Greenwoods, one of the new inhabitants opened the door accompanied by her husband who gazed at the winded boy in surprise.  
"It's happening?" Bunny said in time with the woman in the memory.  
 _Jackson nodded still catching his breath. Never was he so annoyed at the fact that his house was at the very edge of the village.  
The woman, grabbed some things and looked sternly at the boy.  
"You go to the McFalcon's house and wait for your father there. He'll come and get you when we are done alright?" Jackson didn't like that he couldn't be there for his mother now but nodded, understanding that the midwife _knew _best.  
The memory showed the entire village now and the spirits saw the sun move across the sky.  
_"I'm so excited!" Tooth gushed.  
"I bet Jacks brother or sister is going to be so cute!" June giggled.  
"Tha girls really looking forward tha this aren't they?" Bunny chuckled.  
North laughed wholeheartedly at that. "My friend. Your tapping feet shows you exited as well. No?"  
Bunny was glad his fur hid his blush because North would've never let him live that down.  
"Sush, it's time for the big reveal," Wind told them softly.  
 _Indeed. Time slowed down and Jackson was led by his father's hand to meet the newest addition to the Overland house. At the door Jackson hesitated. He was clearly nervous.  
James squeezed his son's shoulder causing the little man to look up surprised.  
There was a lot James could've said to encourage his son. But in the end he just went with a gesture that let Jackson know that he was the one who had to open the door. Jackson nodded, took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Inside he found his exhausted mother and Mrs. Greenwoods who was gathering her things and about to leave. She looked at the men in the doorway and gestured for them to come closer after which she officially left the family alone.  
Jackson took his father's hand and together they walked towards the bed.  
Jackson's mother noticed them approaching and coed to the blanket in her arms.  
"Look darling. It's your daddy and your big brother." At this point Jackson reached the bed and looked into his mother's arms. The face was pink and the eyes were closed and it made funny noises.  
"Want to hold your little sister Jackson?" Jackson stared at his mother and then nodded. With his mother's help he took his baby sister in his arms."  
_"Oh, Jack… Jack?" Bethany asked bewildered as she looked where the Winter Prince had stood just a few seconds ago. Wind saw her look and pointed at the younger Jack.  
"He really wanted to be there," was all she said, and she didn't need to say more.  
Jack remembered the feeling of holding his baby sister for the first time so vividly now and he wanted to experience it again. He wanted to live through that moment when he knew. When he decided that nothing in this world would harm his little sister as long as he could do anything to prevent it. This was the moment that had, in a way, decided his fate on the ice about ten years later.  
 _Jackson stared at the little thing in wonder and then she opened her eyes and saw her big brother for the first time. "Hello there." He looked at his parents. "What's her name?" He asked.  
"Well we heard you and your friends talking about names and we really liked Emma." Jackson smiled, he'd liked that name too. He looked back at Emma.  
"Hello Emma. My name is Jackson. I'll protect you forever." It was a promise he would keep.  
_The memory was swiped away and Jack reappeared, his eyes slightly moist. A fact no one dared to point out to him.  
"She is so lovely Jack," Tooth told him.  
"Yeah, she really was," he agreed.  
June attempted to approach Jack, knowing that as was the case for all spirits, Jack would have had to watch as he outlived those he loved and she couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to only remember them long after they were all gone.  
But Wind stopped her with a simple gesture. Jack did not want pity now. He needed to enjoy the moments he'd had with her.  
The fog in front of them once again showed several memories at once.  
They could see little Jackson grow up as he helped his sister learn various things.  
("Say Jackson!" "Jack!" "Well done!" "She's almost there." "No, she said it right.")  
Jack smiled. "And I didn't let anyone call me anything else after that day," He admitted causing the other girls to coo. ("Come on Emma, it's not so hard." Jackon said as he held little Emma by her hands and lifted her onto her feet. "I know, we'll play hopscotch. It's easy like one" a step Emma reluctantly followed. "Two woa!" Emma giggled as Jackson pretended to nearly fall. "Three! Good job!" many memories of them playing hopscotch appeared around that first one)  
"It was her favorite game. We played it everyday," Jack recalled.  
There were also memories of Jack doing many other things as he grew up.  
Of course pranks and games both with kids his age and younger. But also him helping his dad with the sheep and searching for the lost ones in little caves. Then one came into view.  
 _Jackson was ten in this one and shared a room with little Emma, who was tossing and turning. A vile shadow over her head.  
"_That darned Pitch again!" Bethany growled.  
"He keeps popping up doesn't he? But why didn't we see him attack you after that first time?" Tooth wondered. "Not that I wish he did!" she added before anyone could look at her funny.  
"I guess since I wasn't afraid of him he couldn't harm me… Or something. Perhaps Jane knows," Jack shrugged it off focusing on his baby sister in trouble.  
 _Golden sand was trying to reach the little girl but to no avail. Out of options it joined the stream above Jacksons head and showed his sister as a damsel in distress in his dream. Somehow sensing that something was wrong Jack woke up. He immediately saw Emma tossing and noticed the presence he hadn't felt in years. He grabbed his toy sword and pointed it at the creature.  
"Be gone Boogieman! You leave my little sister alone! And while you are at it leave this village forever!" He stated, careful not to wake his parents.  
The figure hissed at being found and left the house. Remembering last time he faced the boy. He was not strong enough to risk losing any of it on a little boy too stupid to be afraid.  
As the figure left Emma woke up. Jackson ran to her and took her in his arms.  
"Don't worry Emma the Boogieman is gone. He won't harm you again," he whispered.  
"You chased him away?" The little girl asked awed. Not surprised though. Her big brother could do anything. "Of course Emma." He kissed her forehead and was about to leave for his own bed but was stopped by his sisters arms clinging around him. "Stay?" That was all he needed. He pulled the covers over the both of them and told her a story about a daring pirate who searched the seven seas to find a cure for his sisters illness.  
_Once again the single memory made room for many, as Jack was shown telling stories outside around a fire or inside during a storm. These memories were filled with laughter and cheers. And several voices begging 'Tell us another one Jack!' Though none was as insistent as that of the little Emma. _"_ So you were a story teller," Bethanie stated happily. Jack nodded.  
"The kids in the village loved it. And I couldn't ever refuse when Emma wanted one. She once told me that all her friends wished I was their big brother too. I told her that in a way I was. The village was one big family. But I would always be her brother first." He smiled fondly at the memory.  
There were now several memories of winter. Snowball fights, but also many days at the frozen lake. People watching Jack as he gracefully danced over the ice. Sometimes alone, often dragging friends with him. Also many summer days swimming and just enjoying the sun drifted by.  
Feya observed how Jack was growing and aging.  
"We're getting in my territory" she grinned. And indeed. Jack looked fourteen in the newest memories. A teenager.  
They watched as Jackson, who looked a lot more like their Jack than in previous memories, walked with his father to the mountain or traveled to the fields of the Montagues with his friends.  
One such occasion became the main focus and it was here that they saw Alexandra again. She had grown and you could already see what a beautiful lady she was becoming. She walked by the boys who were planting new seedlings and laughed and joked while they were at it. She saw the boy that was in the center of attention.  
 _"Alright Jack! I've got one!" Thomas, also much older and a good looking young man now, called out to his friend. "Bring it!" The boy with the wild brown hair and mischievous eyes said unafraid.  
_ _Alexandra paused her step. Curious what those farm boys, as her brothers insisted on calling them, were doing. Because she had to make sure that they were actually working and not playing silly games of course. As a Montague she had to look over her employees. Even so she knew that if she hadn't know for certain that her brothers were out hunting with father she wouldn't have dared to even walk past this field. Ever since they arrived they insisted she was going to marry underneath her status one day.  
"Alright. Recite Jane Austin in French." Jackson laughed carelessly.  
_"Oy mate, didn't know you were so well educated?" Bunny jested.  
"Our teacher had her moments…" he said secretively.  
 _"Which verse?" he challenged as he dug a hole for the next seedling. He was dirty of course from the hard work and he was swiping the sweat of his brow. The result of a mornings hard work. He caught a bottle of water that was being passed around and took a grateful swig from it.  
"This little bag." Jackson nodded and after taking a moment to recall the poem and translate he started to recite. It wasn't flawless French, of course, but a Frenchmen would be impressed.  
And so was Alexandra. She had not expected her father's employees to be so… well educated.  
"Good afternoon gentlemen," Alexandra called out to them. Her face completely uninterested.  
The boys turned to her and most eyes lingered involuntarily. Jackson however looked directly at her face. He remembered that voice even though it had been years since he'd heard it. It was one of the few truly unpleasant memories from his early childhood. He had also heard the forced politeness and he was not going to give her the satisfaction of giving her any time at all.  
"Good day madam. We'll be done by diner!" he reported and returned to his job.  
"Martin, how did things go Friday?" Jackson asked. Martin was immediately distracted and so were the others. Alexandra stared taken aback. She was used to boys trying to win her favor. She took the boy in once again. He looked familiar.  
"You there! What is your name?" She demanded pointing at Jackson. He turned to her.  
"Don't remember me milady?" He said not quite impolite but not completely respectful either.  
"I was the first person to welcome you to my village," he stated as he walked towards her. He knelt down to pick up a new crate and for a moment their eyes met.  
"Jackson?" she asked in wonder. Jackson rolled his eyes. He got up and turned around carrying the crate to his row.  
"No one has called me that in years, It's just Jack now!" He stated his back still turned and redirected his attention to Martin's story._ Alexandra moved as if she was about to say something, changed her mind, turned and continued her path back home.  
The memory disappeared.  
Jack groaned. "We aren't really going to watch everything we did together are we?"  
"Why Jack? I thought she was nothing to you?" Feya asked suggestively.  
Jack rolled his eyes. Of course Feya thought it was about what Claire had asked. In truth he was worried about what Sandy had wondered about. Sadly Feya wasn't the only one who thought there was something more between him and Alexandra. Most girls were giggling and North and Bunny were grinning. And Sandy made a picture of him and Alexandra in a heart.  
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. They would see soon enough.  
Time seemed to pass again. And as the seedlings grew, so did the mansion. Stables were added and even an entire floor was built on top of the original two story building that had the same surface as half Jack's village. "Ballroom," Jack said as way of explanation.  
When time slowed again, it was late in the summer and it was time to collect firewood for the families of the village as well as the nobility.  
Alexandra walked on the property near the woods with a few girls her age carrying a picnic basket. Suddenly one of the girls stopped, stared for a few moments and then nudged one of her friends, pointing to the edge of the woods where they see a few young men sow a tree trunk in pieces.  
They are nearly done with the last piece, which is clearly a good thing because the summer sun makes the work harder and a thin layer of sweat covers their bare arms and their faces.  
"Poor Jack, that's not healthy. Are you and your friend alright?" Tooth fretted. While everyone was of course worried for Jack's health, most of the girls couldn't help but admire his physique.  
Jack smiled at Tooth to comfort her, but otherwise he really just wanted to get through this memory as soon as possible. It was uncomfortable then and embarrassing now.  
The girls except for Alexandra are enjoying watching the boys work, watching their toned arms flex and relax on a steady rhythm. Finally the trunk gave in and their job was done.  
At least it seemed to be until the dark haired boy, who could now be recognized as Jackson observed the pieces.  
 _"Looks like they'll need to be shopped." The redhaired boy, Thomas, groaned but one look told him that the trunk was indeed too big otherwise.  
"I'll get it started, you go help the others getting a few more trunks here." Jackson stated.  
"Really?" Thomas was torn. He really wanted to return to the cool shadowed woods, but Jack was his friend and he couldn't leave him to sweat in the midday sun on his own.  
"Sure go. Before I make you." Thomas grinned. "Thanks Jack, I owe you!"  
_"You're a good friend," Natasha observed.  
 _Jack waved his friend of as he picked up the first piece, laid it on a nearby stump and brought the ax down. Sweeping the sweat from his brow he grunts in frustration. "Okay, that's enough," he stated and took off his shirt to tie it on his head like a bandana to prevent a heatstroke.  
"_Oh, my," Feya whistled.  
"Look tha girls are pervin*," Bunny snickered as he playfully nudged Jack who was wondering if he could just disappear for the remainder of this memory. _  
Alexandra turned away in what was supposed to look like disgust but was actually mild embarrassment. Her friends however giggled, appreciative of the nice view they got of Jack's toned stomach. This of course drew Jack's attention to them and he noticed the girls who were waving at him flirtatiously and the one who had her back to him and her arms crossed stubbornly.  
He smiled politely at the girls. "On a picnic ladies?" Jackson asked kindly as he took a break.  
The girls nodded. "Want to join us?" One asked him making the others giggle and Alexandra turn to her with an incredulous look. Jackson shook his head.  
"I'm afraid I have to work, but thank you very much for the invitation," he replied after which he demonstratively cleaved another block.  
"To bad," another girl pouted. "Here," Alexandra said briskly as she gave him a flask of water.  
"You are no use if you die of heat. Come ladies," she commanded as she turned away and walked off, leaving Jackson confused.  
_As the audience minus Jack snickered (he was a little upset at wind for turning against him on this one) the memory faded. _  
_ ***look lustfully  
Alright, hope you liked it. Next chapter there will be two more memories. And then the story comes to an end. Hope you liked Alexandra and her family. Might elaborate on her story someday.**


	21. 20)A hero and a guardian

**Alright so I know I said two more memories but it turned out to be three or a bit more depending on how you count. But they're all in this chapter and the next one will be up soon. Plus hey longer chapter almost ten pages in fact.**

 **20) A hero and a guardian  
** The laughter died out and the scenery showed the mansion in the middle of winter.  
It was getting late. Jack, Clara and Thomas were fifteen and walking home from another day working.  
" _I can't wait to get home! Emma hasn't seen me all day. She'll be upset if I miss her bedtime," Jack sighed looking down the long winding road as if he could will it to be shorter.  
_ "Aw. You must be the sweetest big brother ever!" June exclaimed clapping her hands in delight.  
Jack shrugged and looked away, trying to hide his blush. "She couldn't sleep without her bedtime story." 'She was so tired the first time I saw her as Jack Frost. Had she been having nightmares? Or did she even get to sleep at all?' Jack wondered as he looked at the winding road from his memory. _  
"Ay, A hope yer ma has some tea left for us. Though a hot cup of cocoa wad hit tha spot right now." Thomas had a dreamy look in his eyes at the very thought of the rare treat.  
"You know that's only a special occasion kind of drink. So stop making me think about it." Clara grumbled with a mostly playful jab of the elbow to her friend's stomach. She'd been counting down the days until Christmas for almost nothing but the delicious drink.  
"This year I'm going to ask Santa for a whole barrel of coal. Then we'll have money for some more chocolate. Or perhaps I should just ask him for a barrel of cocoa instead. Hey!" Jack jumped out of the way of his friend's elbow jab with a carefree laugh.  
_The audience laughed along with Jackson and his friends. Except for Bedtime who had a worried frown on her face. Why were they seeing this? Her question was soon answered. _  
_

* * *

 _Suddenly a loud voice echoed over the property. "Just leave me alone!" and a slamming door.  
The three friends looked around to see Alexandra run of towards the woods.  
"That isn't going to end well," Jack groaned as he turned back to his friends.  
"You go ahead. I'll make sure the princess doesn't tear her dress on some branches or something." He rolled his eyes to emphasis how done he was with this girl's antics. Truth was she'd been looking upset about something for a while, but only when she thought no one could see and he was a little worried for her.  
_The audience exchanged worried glances before turning collectively to Sandy. He had to wonder about Jacks courage didn't he? _  
"We'll come with you." Thomas didn't like the idea of letting his friend go into the woods on his own. Especially this late. But Jack waved him off.  
"Don't. You should go ahead so my parents know I'm just a bit behind. It's no use letting everyone wonder why we're even later." As he spoke he took a spare torch and lighted it with the one Thomas had been carrying. "There, this should keep any unwanted critters away. See ya later."  
His friends watched his retreating form worriedly, debating on whether or not to run after him anyway. They knew Jack would never tell them to leave him alone unless he had a good reason.  
But they doubted their parents getting worried was it. They stayed behind, waiting for his return.  
_"Jack, why in moon's name would you go off on your own like that?" Tooth asked as she rubbed her temples as though fighting a migraine.  
"I wasn't even sure if Alexandra would talk to me. Let alone with an audience. Besides I'd spend as much time in the woods as in the village if not more. I knew my way around and I knew how to avoid wild animals," he said in a reassuring tone. 'I just hadn't taken into account all other variables,' he added in his mind. _  
_

* * *

_Jackson was making his way deep into the woods.  
Part of him was trying to convince him that he was wasting his time.  
_"Just wait and see. It'll turn out she stubbed her toe or something. And even if it is serious she will just send me away the second I arrive. Too proud do allow a common farmboy to help her." _  
But at the same time he knew he'd have to make sure she got home safe. Not just because her dad paid his family good money for the work they did. She was a lady alone in the woods and she hadn't been playing in them for the past eleven years. She couldn't hope to find her way out or to survive for even an hour.  
_ The spirits watching didn't hear the full intent behind Jackson's actions but they could feel his increasing worry in the air around them.  
"So cute! Jack's going to be a prince in shining armor!" Sophia squealed jumping up and down in delight not catching up on the worry that had started to build in the minds of the other spirits. She thought the whole situation just so romantic.  
"I knew you secretly cared!" she added with a wink. Jack rolled his eyes. "Of course I did. I wasn't made of stone you know? She'd never put a foot in the forest before and I'd never seen her so upset. If I didn't help her I basically sentenced her to death," Jack argued not even remotely flustered by Sophia's words which disappointed her. Perhaps he'd really never been in love? That was so sad in a way… But then again pretty much everyone he met was his friend so he couldn't have been unhappy or lonely a day in his human life. Which was even sadder considering how often she'd seen him sad and alone the past three hundred years. _  
Soon he saw a figure of a crying girl seated on a tree stump. That would be his damsel in distress. He pondered how to go about this one. Making people smile was what he did best, but Alexandra had never been willing to smile for him before.  
Still he had to try. He took a step forward, ready to announce his presence with some mocking remark. Something that maybe would distract her from whatever bothered her for a little while.  
But he stepped on a branch which snapped and startled Alexandra in the process.  
"Who's there!?" she demanded as she whirled around, failing to look graceful and intimidating due to her tearstained cheeks and red eyes. Not to mention the twigs and dirt that had gotten in her hair and on her dress.  
_"Well isn't that a sight," Bunny chuckled, thinking that maybe this was just about the girl getting a crush on Jack after all. It was a little funny to see the haughty girl in such a messy state. _  
_

* * *

_"Just me milady." It had started as a halfhearted insult but over time Jackson had come to use it as a harmless nickname for the youngest of the Montagu children.  
"Shouldn't you be on your way home to count your sheep?" Jack rolled his eyes. Trying to insult him was more or less her usual way of greeting him. She wasn't very good at it and her trembling voice did not help.  
_"Who is she trying to fool here? There is literally no one but you two there." Tasha shook her head at the girl. This girl was trying her best to miscommunicate and that just didn't sit well with her.  
"Force of habit I suppose," Jack explained with a sad smile to Tasha before he looked back to Alexandra. Studying her behavior a bit more. To his chagrin Claire's speculations had stuck in his head and he was determined to find out if Alexandra ever had a crush on him. Every moment he'd been near her would take on a different meaning if she had felt like that. If he had known at the time it wouldn't have changed a thing of course. But still he'd like to know. _  
"I should be putting my little sister to bed. But alas I'll be escorting you to your castle instead," he said with a theatrical gesture to follow him. He wasn't surprised when she huffed and crossed her arms before turning her back on him. The wind picked up at that point and made her shiver.  
_ Jack thought of something then. "Was that you?" he asked his oldest friend with a mischievous grin. Wind smiled and shrugged. "Maybe a northern breeze was annoyed at her stubbornness," she admitted nonchalantly with a playful wink to her companion.  
Ah, so it had been Nora who'd forced the conversation to move forward. Jack should thank her. Without that shiver Alexandra's stubbornness might have prevailed. _  
"Here mylady," Jack said as he pulled of his jacket and laid it over her shoulders, he was not going to put it on for her. He had some pride too.  
"I refuse to wear your hand me downs!" she exclaimed, though she did not attempt to remove it.  
"My mother made that for me, wear it. I doubt frostbite is going to care whether or not you permit it to release you from your fingers and toes." Jack was really not in the mood for this.  
_"It is kind of funny how he's angry with her and taking care of her at the same time don't you think?" Joy asked Bedtime stifling a giggle behind her hand. Bedtime nodded with a smile.  
"It is necessary though. It's the only thing she'll listen to right now," Tasha added wisely. _  
_

* * *

 _"Look we can do two things. Either you come with me right now or you rant a bit about whatever is really bothering you and then you come with me to your stupid castle so I can get home and apologize to Emma for being late with her bedtime story."  
Alexandra stood stunned. Then she did something strange. She started laughing… And crying. So Jack wasn't sure if he'd said the right or the wrong thing. He panicked a little.  
Did he break her?  
_The spirits, except Jack, broke out in collective laughter. Even Wind couldn't fully stop a few giggles from escaping. "Your face!" June exclaimed. Jack just sighed and waited for them to get a hold of themselves so they could continue watching the memory. _  
"You never cease to amaze me Jackson. You hate me and still you care more for my wellbeing than my own family." Ouch. Did she really think her family didn't care?  
"I don't hate you. You annoy me a little but I don't hate you," Jackson said softly as he carefully laid a hand on her shoulder, making sure to keep the torch away from their bodies and the surrounding branches.  
_Once more the air was filled with cooing from the girls as the men gave Jack some affectionate pats. Which he received with an eye roll.  
 _Alexandra looked up at him in surprise. "Do you mean that?" She looked at him hopefully as she breathed the question.  
"Sure?" Jackson was really confused now and he was shocked when the young Baroness threw her arms around him crying her hearth out.  
"Watch the fire!" he exclaimed while awkwardly returning the hug with one arm. Anything to get her to go home he supposed.  
"Ah, ready to tell me what's wrong?" He figured she probably needed to get it out or something.  
_"Jack you are adorably uncomfortable around women," Tasha sighed, shaking her head in amusement. "I'm uncomfortable when people suddenly act way out of character." Jack corrected but his thoughts had returned to Claire's words. Had Jack's opinion of her really been that important to Alexandra that it warranted such a strong response? _  
"I promise not to tell anyone," he added, though his word probably didn't mean a thing to her.  
"I know you won't." Or maybe it did? The night kept surprising.  
"You don't have a mean bone in your body do you?" Jackson felt strangely embarrassed when she looked up to him, still hugging him and therefore still very close to his face. This would look so bad if anyone saw. _Jack, now looking at it as an outsider could see what this looked like and it looked worse than he'd thought at the time. And if he needed any confirmation of that then the suggestive looks of his company did the trick.  
 _"Yeah, tell that to whatever idiot is stupid enough to lay a finger on my friends or my sister."  
He meant for it to be a jest but his discomfort made it an awkward mutter.  
Alexandra giggled and let him go, taking a few steps to give him his personal space.  
It would seem she had decided to drop the princess act at least for the night.  
_

* * *

 _"My brothers… they like to tease me and they always gang up on me. They just hope they'll catch me doing something unladylike. Tonight they were telling me all the little rules I had to follow in order to be favored by our father's friend and especially his son.  
My parents have been setting us up for as long as I remember, even before I met you I knew they expected me to marry him. He was rude and mean back then and he is just simply repulsive now.  
Of course I wouldn't dare to disappoint my father by telling him this. I'll just have to endure, for the sake of the future of both our families. But… I'm afraid of him." Tears returned to her eyes and Jackson felt a pang of pity. He'd met Alexandra's father a few times. He seemed like a reasonable man and as far as he could tell he cared for his daughter. He was almost certain that if Baron Montagu knew the type of man this guy was he wouldn't even consider marrying her off to him. Then again he didn't know him that well so he could be dead wrong.  
He had to say something to comfort her though.  
_"Poor lass. No wonder tha girl was upset," Bunny sighed with drooping ears.  
"Dah. Sad truth in these times. Love did not always have place in lives." The others bowed their heads in recognition of this fact. _  
"I'm sure your brothers don't know you feel that way about this guy. As a big brother myself I guarantee you that if they saw him touch you or treat you badly this guy would be dead meat."  
Alexandra smiled a little, hoping that what Jackson said was true.  
"And as for your father…" Suddenly he heard something moving in the distance.  
_

* * *

The audience tensed. 'God no say it isn't true.' Went through all their minds at once. _  
"Get behind me," he instructs as he places her between his body and a tree. He scans their surroundings and suddenly sees hungry eyes light up in the darkness. A pack of wolves had sniffed them out and was too hungry to be scared of them or the fire.  
_ Gasps filled the air. Bunny, Sandy and North stood nailed to the ground and the girls had their hands clasped in front of their face ready to cover their eyes should the need arise. Only Wind and Jack watched the scene calmly. They knew what would come and they leaned on each other for support during the hard part. _  
"Jackson?" Alexandra whispered, fear evident in her voice. She pushed her back to the tree and prayed for the hungry canines to leave.  
"Get lost! Shoo! We're not dinner!" Jackson shouted as loud as he could as he waved the flame at them. He remembered what Mr. Stanford had taught him. Don't show your fear or your back. Be bigger and be louder. They'll back off.  
It seemed to be working. The pack was apparently unwilling to take him on, except for a particularly hungry wolf who still dared a step forward. Jackson reacted by stepping forward himself showing that he wasn't afraid to fight, though he'd really prefer not to.  
_The silence in the group was tangible. No one even dared to breath. _  
He'd forgotten that stepping forward would expose his companion to an attack and she nearly paid for it with her life. One of the other wolves leaped for her only to be met with Jackson's elbow to his throat. The creature whined in pain, but it wasn't alone. Jack was groaning and gripping his shoulder. The animal had bitten him right before being hurled backwards. Smelling the blood the wolves regrouped convinced they could win this fight. Alexandra saw Jacks beige undershirt staining with blood and let out a horrified scream.  
_ It was hard to distinguish Alexandra's scream from the shocked shouting of the group.  
"Everybody quiet! I'll be fine! I promise! Watch!" Surprised by Jacks outburst everyone stopped their exclamations of worry and even anger at Jacks recklessness. _  
_

* * *

 _Next they heard a bowstring being released and an arrow lodged itself right next to the alpha. The wolves turned and was a small group of Indians. The leader spoke.  
_ Wind made a gesture so the air would carry her translation to everyone's ears. _  
"Leave brother wolf. This one is a friend of our forest and our tribe. Tonight shall not be his last moon." The wolves, hesitated but from the trees a strange glow emerged. Spirit wolves arrived at the scene and bowed to Jack before standing in front of him and Alexandra in defense. The wolves understood the message from their spirit counterparts and left.  
_ Jack was staring in shock at his two favorite sprites. They'd known he was coming before he'd changed? That was the only explanation he had for the bowing.  
"Jack are those…?" Tooth didn't know how to formulate her question because she knew Jack didn't like to be addressed by his title or anything close to it. So how did she address his subjects?  
"Flake and blizzard. Spirit wolves of the house of winter," Jack nodded answering both her questions. They all looked at the wolves for a moment longer. Amazed at their presence. _  
Meanwhile Jackson had collapsed against Alexandra who was kneeling on the floor and desperately attempting to do something but his skin was torn apart and the bleeding wouldn't stop.  
"Jackson, Jackson please answer!" she begged, not knowing what to do.  
"This isn't funny!" her tears landed on his cheeks and her sobbing shook both of their bodies. She tenderly stroked his face to wipe away her tears.  
"Come back to me," she pleaded softly.  
_Jack felt himself blush and he knew that if he wasn't immortal he would be beat red by now. Luckily the others were to concerned for his past selves well being to notice.  
Well all except for Wind.  
"No denying it now. She liked you. A lot. I should know. And so should Sandy for that matter." Jack didn't know it was possible but he blushed even more, though on his forever pale skin it only showed as a faint blue tint. He did not need to know that. _  
Another Indian approached them. The crying girl pulled her protector closer as if she was preparing herself to use her body as a shield like he'd done for her.  
The Indian showed her a few herbs he'd drawn from his pouch. Understanding that this would be Jackson's best chance at survival she let him approach. He put leaves in the boys mouth to sooth the pain, and then pulled out a flask of some kind of syrup-like liquid which he applied to the wound. The bleeding stopped and Jackson started breathing easier.  
Then shouts were heard in the distance and the Indians left before Alexandra's family and Jacks friends could reach them. The memory faded.  
_

* * *

"Wait. That's it?" June exclaimed worry still in her voice.  
"They got me to the castle. Treated my wounds, gave me a lot of food. Send for my parents because they wouldn't let me go home in 'my state' I was fine but they were going to give them food too so I kept my mouth shut. I was offered a position as Alexandra's personal guard whenever she left the property and during social events. I accepted because I could make sure that her fiancé to be behaved himself. That and it paid better than any other job. There happy?" Jack really didn't want to think back to the stupid outfit he had to wear. Everyone in the village swore he looked dashing and he'd played along but he really didn't like it. Too stuffy and it itched.  
"Don't tell me she married that boy?" Joy demanded with her hands in her sides. After this whole display surely Jack had done something to prevent that marriage from hell.  
"He proposed on her sixteenth birthday two weeks later. I was there, but I couldn't do anything. He'd gotten the father's blessing and aside from making a claim that would forever damage her name..." Jack shook his head. Why was he even defending himself. These were different times and all spirits gathered had lived to see them and worse.  
"She accepted. Later I escorted them on a walk through the gardens where he behaved himself somewhat decent because they had a chaperone with a sharp object who looked willing to use it. When I escorted her to her chambers she was… Less composed. They had a lovely spring wedding if memory serves correctly. But the marriage didn't last long if that helps. She was with their first child when the idiot got shot while out hunting. She gave birth to a boy few months later, so that worked out well. He grew up to be a much nicer person than his father. She seemed rather happy after that." Jack recited the events. He didn't tell them of any of the other things that happened. No those were secrets between him and Alexandra. Even if he hadn't considered them romantic or even very intimate at the time, he had a sneaking feeling that she did and therefore he would take those moments she'd stolen with him to his grave.  
The hunting accident had happened during his first summer as an immortal. Little over a year after the wedding. It had been a year in hell for her, but she'd gotten through it and become a great woman, Baroness and mother. He was proud of her.

* * *

As Jack's mind found peace the next memory came into view. And Feya, Sophia and Claire disappeared into nothingness.  
"Where did they go?" Jack wondered.  
"We'll see them again soon I suppose. You just don't want them to see this memory," Tooth Explaiened. Jack wondered for a brief moment what could make him want them out when they'd seen all the other stuff but then he noticed the ice skates on the wall. Was this?  
 _Time flew by and winter returned. A now nearly sixteen year old Jackson was woken by his sister jumping on the bed.  
"Wake up! Wake up! Jack you promised to go skating today!"  
_Jack froze. No, not this one. Anything but this one. _  
"Five more minutes Em!" Jack groaned. Last night he and his friends had been outside until really late and he'd like to sleep as long as his parents would allow.  
"No! You promised and dad's gone to the castle and when he's back you'll have to help him with the sheep! So we need to go now!" There was no way he could say no to his sister. He got up and got dressed and mounted his skating blades onto his shoes.  
"You two out for the day?" their mother asked with a smile as they quickly ate a lump of bread and some cheese each. "Yeah! Jack is going to help me skate like him!"  
Grace frowned in concern. "Now you're not going to make her do anything too hard are you? You've always taken to the ice very easily but you can't expect Emma to be the same." Jack chuckled at his mother's worry. "Don't worry ma. We'll start slow. I won't make her do any hard jumps or turns right away." Of course he wouldn't he would never risk his baby sister getting hurt.  
They left, Emma dragging Jack out causing him to skip a goodbye kiss from his mother.  
"Be careful!" she insisted one last time. Emma ignored her mother's voice, eyes locked on her big brother. This was going to be so fun.  
"We will," Jack chuckled amused at both his mother and his sister as he watched the later jump up and down.  
_The memory became distorted as Jack started shaking, worrying the others who alternated their attention between Jack and the memory. They saw vague images of the two on the lake. They were practicing skating in circles, going faster, going a bit on one leg… Then Jack seemed to stop them both as something on his booth caught his attention.  
"That stupid lace," their Jack muttered with a pained voice as he leaned into Wind.  
Emma skated a little ahead and then, louder than it would've been in reality, they heard a crack.  
They all watched in horror as the rest of the scene played out. The fear, the game, the laughter and Emma screaming her brother's name in horror as he fell through the ice and thought his last thought. "She's alive."

* * *

Tooth was on her knees an arm outstretched as if she could've prevented Jack from falling.  
Bunny looked horrified, every hair on his body standing up.  
North had his head bowed in respect. He had figured as much.  
Sandy wished he could cry. Wished he could sob loudly and breath trough a runny nose. Because he had no pictures to properly communicate his feelings right now.  
Bedtime was weeping in June's arms who wasn't faring any better.  
Tasha was at a complete loss of words which was something for a spirit of communication.  
Joy had not fully recovered from the rollercoaster of the last memory and had not been ready for what she'd just witnessed. She looked in shock.  
Wind looked unaffected, of course she already knew about all of this. She was only concerned with comforting her friend.  
Jack however was recovering and expected this to be the end. He was ready for them to wake up so he could listen to them saying how sorry they were and sleep again for the first time in three hundred years. But he was in for a nasty surprise.

* * *

The other's disappeared. He and Saffia were the only ones left to witness Jack's body slowly sink lower into the water but then it was yanked back up by his staff, the soul however remained where it was. _Thomas and Clara had been on their way to meet Jack and Emma on the pond and had heard Emma's call for her brother. Clara was holding the sobbing girl close as she watched Thomas pull up Jack in horror. Thomas dragged his friend's lifeless body to the side of the lake where he laid him down._  
"Jack?" he asked, little hope in his voice.  
"No… NO!" Clara gasped pressing Emma closer to her chest to keep her from seeing this.  
"Comon… This isna funny… Jack?" Thomas' voice was filled with tears.  
"What's going on?" Mr. Stanford had been on a walk and had heard the commotion. His expression paled and he grabbed his hearth when he saw the boy who'd been as close to a son or rather grandson as he'd ever get. "Jack? Jackson?" He hurried to the motionless body and examined it. But he had to conclude that all help was too late.  
"What's going on? Emma? Emma are you… No!…" Jack's mother had arrived on the scene and saw her sons drenched body on the shore next to her weeping daughter. As though she was sleepwalking she approached her children. She knelt next to Jack's head and stroked his hair out of his eyes. Frost was starting to form making him look paler and at the same time somehow less dead. As if he was an angel sleeping on her lap. "My beautiful boy…" She muttered stroking his cheek lovingly. "My son…" She choked on her breath.  
Mr. Stanford reached for her shoulder trying to find the words to comfort her. "NO!" She screamed out. Flinching away from the contact.  
"M-Mama…" Emma had managed to release herself from Clara's grip but only because the girl no longer possessed the strength to hold her.  
"Oh, my precious girl." Grace latched onto her daughter as if it was her only lifeline.  
Jack and Wind looked at the display from a distance again as time passed and the entire village gathered. They were clinging to each other as Jack cried for his family and friends.  
 _Horses approached. Someone from the village had heard the commotion at the lake and as others went to see if they could do something there they figured something had happened to the Overland kids since they spend a lot of time there and had gone to get their father.  
James got of the borrowed horse and stumbled to his family. The crowd parted for him and he felt dread settle in his heart as he saw their solemn faces. It couldn't be… But then he reached his sobbing wife and daughter and he just couldn't look at the figure lying next to them. If he looked it would be real and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.  
"Darling?" he found himself saying. Grace looked up at her husband and shook her head. This caused him to fall to his knees and embrace what was left of his family. He dared a look at his son. Cold and motionless and forever fifteen. He would've made a good man. A good husband to someone and a great father to any child they'd have.  
_Voices filled Jacks head. "I'm proud of you son," his father's voice whispered as though he was standing right behind him. "We'll never forget any of the moments we spend with you!" Thomas and Clara chorused. "I love you so much my little troublemaker." His mother this time.  
"Never stop having fun." His sister. "I'll never forget what you did for me." Alexandra.  
And many more whispered goodbyes of the people he'd met in his life.  
He had wondered about his sister and how she'd ever gotten home, how his parents reacted and if anyone was angry with him. It had been brief and it was a question that was never far away when he thought of his past at all so he shouldn't have been surprised to see this. Wind had probably added the memory of the aftermath of his death. But he didn't know where all those goodbye's came from. As the last voices died out he decided he didn't care how they ended up in his memories. He was glad to have heard them.  
"I love you all," he whispered as he returned to the others.

* * *

"Jack! There you are!" Tooth exclaimed as she hugged him without a second thought.  
"Mate where did ya go all of a sudden?" Bunny asked, worried as well.  
"There was something I needed to see on my own is all." Jack dismissed, whipping the tears from his eyes. The guardians knew better than to pry. Suddenly Jack realized that the group was still quite a bit smaller than it used to be. Just the guardians and wind were present.  
Was there another memory they had to see?  
And indeed their surroundings shifted and once again all his senses were dragged through time though this time it remained pretty cold. Mostly laughter was occasionally replaced by sobbing, or sounds of spirits fighting. Then there were desperate cries for help and war mixed with some brief moments of levity. But all surrounded by cold, flurries of white and the smell of pine.  
They were in the woods near Burges.  
Before anyone could wonder what they were doing there they all heard Emma's voice.  
 _"Jack?"  
_ Jack flinched remembering this moment. Did they really have to watch this?  
 _A confused looking Jack Frost flew right passed them and landed running over the forest floor for a few yards before stopping. He was staring at an old bedframe that looked like it had been there for quite some time. Almost like in trance he walked to it. Babytooth, sensing the danger, pulled on his hoodie. Sadly Jack couldn't bring himself to care. "Don't worry. There's still time." He assured the both of them._ Wind will get me back in time. _He added in thought as he continued his way to the ominous piece of furniture.  
_ "Jack as much as I feel flattered by your confidence in my speed. Let's agree you never ever do something so stupid again?" Jack nodded sheepishly. He knew he was stupid. He couldn't explain what came over him when he'd heard Emma's voice. Not even to himself.  
 _Once he reached the bed he found himself looking down an abys any sane person would stay far away from. Instead of doing that he created a bigger opening by knocking out a panel. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But then Emma called out again. "Jack?" and he threw off all caution and jumped right in.  
_ "Where did I hear that voice before?" _He wondered. Hope and confusion coloring his thoughts as he landed in the cave. Babytooth was doing all she could to try and get him to go back.  
_ _He ducked and shrugged of her assault. "Babytooth, Babytooth come on! I have to find out what that is!"_ Jack felt like he could sink trough thee floor from shame. He'd been so stupid. All the red flags were there. But he hadn't been able to think straight at the time.  
"It's important I'm sure of it. I just don't know how I know." _His line of thought was interrupted as he noticed what was inside the cave. Cages, so many cages filled with fairies.  
_ _He jumped from cage to cage, hushing them. "I'll get you out as soon as I-"  
_ _"Jack?!" Jack froze as he stared to the piles of toothboxes.  
_ _"As I can…" The fairies mostly forgotten he dove for the pile.  
_ "Jack?" Tooth approached the guilt ridden spirit carefully.  
"It's fine. Memories can have a very strong effect on their owners and since you hadn't been able to reach them for so long the effect must've been so much stronger. I'm not mad. Okay?" Jack looked up and searched Tooth's face for a lie. When he found none he smiled carefully and nodded.  
"Where is it? I have to know? Who am I?" _He was looking through the pile frantically.  
_ _A warning cry from Babytooth but it was too late.  
_

* * *

 _"Looking for something?" Jack didn't hesitate for a second and attacked. He had not forgotten what Pitch had done to Sandy.  
_ What followed was an agonizing cat and mouse game that left the older guardians gasping.  
"Tha bounce better not have tried tha lay a finger on ya mate!" Bunny exclaimed. Momentarily forgetting what he'd done not long after this event. But it meant a lot to Jack that Bunny showed his protective side now. "Wind where are you?" Tooth wondered.  
"I… When you guys entered the warden… I couldn't follow. The magic around it kept me from entering uninvited. I could still reach, but my core couldn't be next to him. The same goes for Pitch's lair. I could follow Jack inside North's house at the north pole because of the open window. Leaving a window open is like inviting me in. But there are no open windows in Pitch's liar only gaping chasms that won't let me in. I couldn't get him out of there… My current's just carried him as they have the past three hundred years. At this point they listen to him just as well as they do me. And they are physically a part of me so that is quite the accomplishment." She chuckled, but there was little humor in her voice. She hated that this had happened.  
" _Yours is that no one will ever believe in you."_ Pitch's words were a slap in all the guardians' faces.  
Bunny remembered how he had tried to taunt Jack with the fact that he wasn't believed in, he hadn't even noticed that he'd hit so close to home. "Ah'm a dit," he breathed in defeat as he stomped his foot. He could kick himself.  
"You didn't know," Jack offered with a hand on his furry brother's shoulder.  
"No excuse… Ah can't believe ah let one misplaced blizzard get me spewing." Jack smiled and pushed the Pooka good naturedly. "Maybe I'll show you what that was about some day." He told him as he reluctantly returned his attention to Pitches manipulative game. Sadly the memory hadn't progressed any further during his conversation with Bunny. They saw how he was tossed around like a cat's ball of yarn and how Pitch's taunts followed him everywhere.  
It was confusing and terrifying.  
"Oh, Jack," Tooth gasped reaching for the Jack in the memory. Wishing she could embrace him and tell him everything would be fine. The real Jack shocked her by wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, he'll be alright. I have my answers now. I know who I am.  
I'm a guardian." There was an unmistakable pride in his voice as he said this.  
Toothina smiled, but it disappeared when Pitch offered Jack his memories.  
To everyone's surprise he didn't grab them at once. He reached for them. His whole body trembling with desire but he pulled back. He couldn't.. Shouldn't.  
Pitch seemed to enjoy every moment of this slow torture.  
Then Pitch said something else that surprised and horrified the guardians.  
" _You're afraid of what the guardians will think. You're afraid of disappointing them."  
_ The three guardians who'd been present for the events of eastern exchanged glances. Jack had cared about their opinion of him back then? Oh, Moon what had they done?  
"I could tell you all about what you all truly meant to him… But it is up to Jack to reveal this when he is ready." It was a whisper in the four oldest guardians ears. With the difference that Sandy heard it as a kind voice, he felt like there was a great compliment implied in the words. The other three heard it hissing with some of the anger that had not yet fully left Wind's thoughts about them. A promise of heartbreak when they'd find out.  
 _"They'll never accept you. Not really."_ The words only added salt to their wounds. They had failed Jack… They had failed their sworn duty so badly. And in return he'd saved them.  
" _Stop it!" Jack demanded. He felt like he was locked in some sort of coffin and couldn't get any breath. He had to get out now! "After all you're not one of them."  
_ Not true! _"You don't know what I am!" Now that the disorientation was gone he was ready to fight again. No matter the confusion and fear he felt, Pitch would pay for what he'd done.  
_ _But he didn't fire. Some kind of masochism forced him to keep listening to this man's poisonous words. "Of course I do! You're Jack Frost! You make a mess wherever you go! Why you're doing it right now!" Pitch threw Jack the memory box which he reflexively caught "_ Why would he…?"  
 _Then realization dawned on him._ "Eastern… This was all a distraction… The eggs!"  
 _"What did you do?" Pitch grinned at Jack's horrified face.  
_ "More to the point Jack. What did you do?"  
Last thing they could see from Pitch was his cruel grin fading into the shadows.

* * *

"Where is Jane during all of this?" Jack suddenly wonders as he tries not to watch too closely while his past self lunges after Pitch and finds out all that he has messed up. Babytooth, Eastern, he couldn't even catch Pitch or free some of the fairies.  
"You should ask her… as I said I don't reach into Pitch's home unless he wishes… Which he never does. But I am confident that Pitch kept her from interfering somehow, though I can't say for sure." Jack knew that this most likely meant that Safia felt like it wasn't her place to talk about what happened. If there was air to breath then the Wind knew what was going on in said air.  
 _Past Jack arrived on the scene of the failed egg hunt and stared in horror as Bunny experienced the agony that was being ran through.  
_ "You really felt bad for me? Ah figured Ah deserved it after all Ah said." Jack shook his head.  
"I wouldn't wish that existence on my worst enemy," he explained. And it was true.  
"Yet you endured it for three centuries… Why didn't you come to us?" Tooth wondered. Stalling the memory from continuing. Sandy would be furious and they'd deserve it. Didn't mean they looked forward to it.  
"I tried. But Phill threw me out. Bunny got grumpy whenever winter dragged out even a little longer and after the incident there was no way I'd get near him. And your fairies are surprisingly hard to follow. I saw Sandy every once in a while but once I realized he didn't talk and worked every second of every day I didn't want to waste his time too much. But I always said hi when we crossed paths and whenever I saw his sand appear I played around a bit with a dream."  
Sandy produced an image of playing dolphins and Jack nodded.  
"Every time," he grinned. Happy that Sandy somehow picked out his dream from all the others.  
Tooth got tears in her eyes. Dolphins… Animals that were associated with two things, their love for fun and more importantly their strong family bonds. Jack dreamt of being happy with a family. For three hundred years. And he couldn't reach them.  
"I have to talk vith Phill bout security. Child should never be sent away. Even if I am busy."  
North felt terrible. He shouldn't have glossed over Jack's remark about trying to sneak in when they first met. Sure he'd expressed interest in an explanation but when Jack had said he never got past the yeti's he'd assumed that trying to break in was just a game for the winter spirit.  
"Let's get this over with," Bunny sighed as they turned back to the memory.

* * *

 _Past North was explaining what had happened in the warden making Jack feel worse about himself.  
_ "I could've saved them," _he realized.  
_ Sandy was looking at his fellow guardians confused. Why were they looking so ashamed? Surely they wouldn't have given Jack too much grief over this. Surely once he explained they would understand. Right?  
 _"Jack!" A molting Toothina exclaimed as she approached him. She looked him over and gasped as she saw the toothbox. "Where did you get that."  
_ Now Tooth and North could see that Jack looked at the box as though he had completely forgotten he had it. Back then they'd still been shaken by the recent loss and they weren't thinking straight. But both could see the accusations their words and actions carried for Jack. Especially with what he'd recently been trough.  
Sandy was starting to get cranky but he was determined not to blow up now.  
 _"Where is babytooth? Jack, what have you done?"  
_ _"That's why you weren't here? You were with Pitch?!"  
_ They were not making it easy for him though.  
Tooth and North didn't know where to look. They were so ashamed. They heard Jack's past self stumble over his words trying to explain himself.  
Bunny cringed. He knew that he was about to do the most idiotic thing any spirit had ever done.  
 _"He needs to go. We should never have trusted you!"  
_ "Don't you dare look away this time." The whisper was back and the three guilt ridden spirits looked up at once. Coming face to face with Jack's shocked expression. Pain filling his eyes.  
As bunny explained what eastern meant they saw something in Jacks eyes that told them he was still thinking of a way of fixing things. He never meant for any of that to happen. He had been set up and they'd played right into Pitch's hand.  
When they saw how they all turned away from him they for the first time witnessed what they'd missed the first time. Jack pulling out the small nesting doll and staring at it while all hope, dreams and wonder were sucked from him. Pain and loneliness took their place as he threw it away and took off. To their surprise they also got to see something Jack hadn't seen.

* * *

Tooth observing Jack as he flew away, worry overtaking her face. And North shaking his head with regret. Wondering what he could've done better.  
 _"North! Look!" Tooth called out as she spotted the little nesting doll lying where Jack had stood a moment ago. "Did you give this to him?" she asked as she showed him the doll.  
_ _North's eyes widened. "What about it?" Bunny asked still crushed by the loss of Eastern.  
_ _"He threw it away when we turned our backs on him… If he'd sided with Pitch, why would he come back?" Realization dawned on the other two. "You mean we judged to fast?" North asked.  
_ _Bunny's eyes briefly flashed with guilt but then he turned away stubbornly.  
_ _"He still left us. He knew we couldn't stand against an attack." Bunny wasn't very convincing.  
_ _"Which is why he went on the solo mission of bringing Sophie home. If I'd gone then Pitch would've taken me out like he did with Sandy. Same goes for either of you. Moon knows why he left Jack alive…" another realization struck.  
_ _"Because if he crushed tha lad…" Bunny breathed eyes widening with horror.  
_ _"He might recruit him?" North finished.  
_ _"Except he didn't crush him… We did," Tooth corrected them slowly losing the use of her wings both due to her exhaustion and crippling guilt.  
_

* * *

"Why would you ever return to us?" Tooth wondered out loud. Jack considered her question.  
"After I left you guys I flew to the artic." The environment swirled to show the blizzard that surrounded the cliff Jack had landed on. Jack's turmoil created snow but everyone was sure that the strong winds were caused by Wind's desire to rip Tooth, Bunny and North a new one.  
They saw Jack's past self run up the cliff and nearly throw away the toothbox. Nearly rejecting his memories as well.  
"Jack tell me you didn't!" Tooth gasped. The winter spirit shook his head and indeed a second before he could throw it his movements halted. He tried to bring himself to throw it again but found himself unable to do so.  
"For reasons I still don't understand I couldn't give up on my past. Couldn't give up on the thought that there might be something worth remembering in that box. Someone worth remembering."  
He sighed. "But I was also afraid that I would find an even bigger failure inside." He smiled and shrugged. "I was a little low at the time, but I'm fine now, so please don't freak out for the next bit." This worried the guardians even more. Sandy threw his old friends a glare that made it clear that there would be a serious talk later.  
They saw Pitch enter the scene, playing the role of a friend. But Jack wasn't so angry with himself that he didn't have any room to be angry at the boogieman.  
He send him a blast which he calmly dodged.  
 _"You don't understand anything!"_ Past Jack yelled as he kept blasting the cursed man.  
 _"No? I don't know what it's like to be cast out?"_ Pitch shouted out as Jack threw all his pain and anger at him in the form of icy blasts. Their battle threw up a cloud of snow limiting everyone's sight. _"To not be believed in?"_ But Jack still didn't trust the man. He'd played him. Manipulated him. He'd killed Sandy. He'd-  
 _"To long for"_ Past Jack spun ready for the next attack. _"a family."_ In that moment not only did Pitch hit the exact right mark but his sudden vulnerable face and tone caught Jack of guard.

* * *

"Oh, Jack," Tooth breathed once again reaching for the boy's past self as if she could protect him from harm that way. "Hey, I'm fine remember? We saved the children and kicked Pitch's behind."  
Tooth smiled a little at that.  
"Ah can't help but think you should've knocked out a few more teeth Tooth," Bunny grumbled.  
"Dah. I should fill liar with coal." North nodded his arms crossed as he glared daggers as the past version of Pitch kept saying all the right things and Jack's past self kept hearing him out.  
 _The boy's face was astonished. Surprised to possibly find a kindred spirit in this man he'd hated so hard. Maybe they'd all gotten it wrong. Pitch wasn't all bad. Just lonely. Hadn't there been days when Jack had been close to kicking up storms in populated areas just to have someone notice? Days he'd accidentally caused chaos because he was so upset?  
_ _"We don't have to be alone Jack. I believe in you. And I know children will too."  
_ _It was such a beautiful promise, all Jack had ever wanted.  
_ _"In me?"_ The guardians gasped as they realized how close they'd gotten to losing their youngest to the darkness.

* * *

"I wonder if he knows you are one of those few children who challenged him in the past? You might not remember, but this wasn't the first time he tried to take you as an immortal," Wind said out of nowhere. "What?" The guardians echoed. Wind ignored the three older ones and turned to Jack. "If I'd asked you for your earliest memory a year ago. What would it be?" Jack's eyes widened in realization.  
"Darkness and cold and fear," he gasped. "Pitch tried to… But why?" Wind shrugged.  
"Possibly your dormant power or maybe he did remember your earlier encounters and thought it would be a fitting form of revenge. Who knows?" It was a disturbing thought but it would have to wait for later. "Well he sure messed up both times. Look here is where he got a bit too cocky," Jack said returning everyone's attention to the memory.  
Pitch indeed seemed a bit too sure of his case and had started painting a picture of the wrong dream. _"We'll give them a world where everything, everything is-"  
_ _"Pitch Black?"_ This was received with loud cheers from the guardians. Proud that their boy hadn't been tempted by power.  
Pitch tried to correct his misstep but it was too late.  
 _"They'll fear both of us. And that's not what I want. Now for the last time! Leave me alone!"  
_

* * *

Pitch's expression as Jack rejected him surprised everyone.  
"I think I may have hurt his feelings," Jack stated wide eyed and all together shocked. At the time he'd assumed Pitch had just said what he needed to say to get Jack on his side. But it looked like he'd meant some of it. "Pitch Black is a combination of the prisoner and the invaders. His desires for power comes from the later but the former gives him human desires he cannot ignore."  
Wind looked at Sandy with sad eyes. "I am sorry for the fate of your former friend, he was a good man and is sorely missed." The group held a moment of silence for the cruel fate of the former keeper of fears.  
Pitch's hurt soon turned to anger and then-  
"That MONSTER! If he hurt her! You are right Bunny I should've knocked out more than just one measly tooth!" Toothina was enraged at the nerve of it all. Encage her fairies, and then hurt one of them? He'd pay! Past Jack clearly wasn't happy with it either.  
While he'd lost all desire to fight a minute ago he was now ready to blast Pitch to the south pole.  
Then Pitch stated his terms and everyone gasped. Surely Jack hadn't. But he had.  
And when Pitch threw Babytooth away and broke the staff causing Jack great pain in the process the resulting yelling was deafening.  
Much of what was said couldn't be understood and what was said clear enough doesn't need repeating. Sandy's sandwriting had never been less cute let's keep it at that.  
They saw Jack fall and could make out a figure in the wind desperately trying to grab him and keep him in the air but to no avail.  
"Jack how did you get to Burges from there?" Jack smiled and they saw him open his toothbox and next thing they knew he merged his staff back together and flew off to save the day.  
"And that is more than enough for one day don't you think?" Jack decided, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster he'd just been trough. No sooner had he said this or everything around them dissolved.

 **Hope you all enjoyed it. Until next time. Shouldn't take to long! A week or two at the most!**


	22. 21) Awakening

**And this is why I don't like putting deadlines. I never make them.  
I don't own anything**

 **21) Awakening  
** The first thing Jack noticed was the soft cushion beneath him. Slowly he registered that he was no longer in the memory realm.  
He opened his eyes and blinked against the light. When his eyes adjusted he noticed that he was indeed back in the ballroom. Finally. Everything was back to normal. He sat up, breaking contact with the memory box and took a look around.  
Everyone, except wind who'd dematerialized again, was laid on soft cushions and slowly waking up. Most with tearstained faces.  
He touched his cheeks to find that they were wet. Dang it, he'd been crying too.  
"What the?!"  
"Crickey!" the two surprised voices called everyone's attention to them.  
Bunny and Tooth had been lying next to each other, but were now leaning as far back as they could, pressing their hands to their chests like they had been burned.  
The looks on their faces were enough to set everyone in a fit of laughter, including the surprised Fairy and Pooka after the initial shock had worn out.  
There was however a soft giggle that no one could really place and all heads turned to it's source to find Jane sitting on a few stacked cushions near Jack's spot in the circle. Once she realized that people had noticed her presence her giggles ceased and she looked down blushing.

* * *

"Sorry. I… I came down to see if you had any tea." She felt like her conversation with Wind should remain between the two of them.  
"And then I saw you guys lying in a mess… I didn't think you'd like waking up that way so I rearranged you to be a bit more comfortable… The hand thing was just a little joke. I'm sorry, it was really childish." What had she been thinking?  
"Ha! Amazing, another kindred spirit." Jack grinned as he walked over and sat next to her.  
"You've still got a lot to learn but don't worry. I'll make a trickster out of you yet!" He assured her with a playful nudge. He had hoped it would put her at ease, but while she seemed pleased with his compliment she also made herself smaller. What was with her? Had he said something wrong?  
"Oh, boy. Ah don't think Ah can handle two snowflakes," Bunny grumbled teasingly, casting the two a smile.  
"Thank you Jane. You shouldn't have needed to go through all that trouble," Tooth said throwing the three elemental spirits a stern glance, causing them to look down in embarrassment.  
"It was my pleasure really," Jane said blushing scarlet. Fidgeting under the stares she got. Jack was pretty sure something was still bothering her.  
He thought of the reason she'd said she came down in the first place. She'd been looking for a cup of tea before turning in for the night. Something had been keeping her from going to sleep. What?

* * *

"Vell, time for bed," North declared. He caught Sandy's eyes. Clearly they'd have to sit through a silent scolding first. He gave Tooth and Bunny a quick glance which they answered with a dreadful nod. Sandy was seriously scary when he got mad.  
"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna take a walk," Jack said, getting up and leaning on his staff.  
The others nodded in understanding. He clearly had some stuff to think about.  
Everyone left and wished him goodnight as they passed him. When Jane got up he gently grabbed her by the wrist.  
"Mind walking with me?" Jack asked kindly.  
Jane was speechless so she just nodded. She hadn't counted on spending more time alone with Jack. Really alone now. Not another spirit to see anywhere.  
They walked in silence for a while, side by side. Taking in the flowers and trees that grew along the path. To her own surprise Jane was the one to break the silence.

* * *

"So, a trip down memory lane huh?" she really hoped she sounded casual. In truth the image of Jack and some girl in a heart that had appeared above Sandy's head not too long before the memory of the lake came, had stuck with her. She couldn't remember if Jack's shadow had ever melted with anyone's shadow that way.  
She'd been so sure it hadn't and she felt stupid for worrying about it.  
It shouldn't be that important. She knew it was silly to be jealous of someone who'd crossed over centuries ago, but she couldn't shake the thought.  
"Yeah, it was fun for the most part. Until it became embarrassing." They both understood that he didn't want to talk about the painful parts.  
Jane laughed softly with him and with some, previously nonexistent, courage she bumped shoulders with him as she teased:  
"What? You weren't Mr. charming all your life?" Jack chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.  
"I was a little kid once. I got in trouble. Tooth and the other girls thought I was cute." Jane looked away, studying some Christmas roses as she let out a soft laugh. "I'm sure they did."  
Jack was glad Jane wasn't looking at him since he was blushing again. He'd just realized that cute could mean two things and he wasn't sure which kind Jane thought they were talking about. He shrugged of the thought. Those memories sure did a number on him. He never would've worried about those things before tonight.  
"Yeah, the toddler memories weren't too bad I suppose," he admitted while frosting the roses Jane was studying. She smiled and traced the patterns.  
"Nothing embarrassing after that?" she knew she was dangerously close to being too obvious but she had to know. Jack sighed and kicked up some snow. Not sure whether he wanted to talk about Alexandra just yet. And if he did, was Jane the right person to talk to? What would he even say?  
He leaned against a tree and looked over the lake remembering the many times Alexandra had requested he'd escort her for a walk in the gardens and they would just stop at a bench with a good view of the garden and talk. He'd been doing his job at the time, guarding her. Her father trusted him to respect her and he did. Occasionally he'd lighten the mood with a joke, or provide comfort whenever her fears threatened to overwhelm her.  
"They teased me a bit with some girl who apparently had a crush on me." Jane felt terrible for how relieved she felt at that. Unrequited love was a painful thing.  
She hoped the girl turned out okay. She would try to remember this girl later. After everything else.

* * *

"Your shadow never forgot." Her eyes widened as her mind registered what her mouth had just said. She felt like slapping her hands in front of her mouth. As if she could physically force the words back and do it over. What had she been thinking?  
"What?" Jack was, understandably confused.  
Jane sighed and started walking as she tried to figure out how to explain herself.  
"Shadow's remember their life. And nothing can make them forget. Not even when the person dies. Your shadow remembers every thing, animal or person it followed before I send it to you.  
Usually they don't reminisces about those previous lives too much. Unless something big happened. Then those memories can occasionally be passed on to their new companion. That's where the stories about past lives come from." She smiled a little as she recalled the many people who looked for answers and justice for their shadow's past.  
"You felt at home in Burges and at the lake because your shadow still remembered the place. Whenever you played with your sister or your old friends or tried to cheer up your parents… It meant the world to your shadow to be near theirs again… And it meant a lot to their shadows to be near yours." She kept silent for a moment and observed the lake they were walking past to give Jack a moment alone with his thoughts.  
"You mean their shadows knew I was there?" he asked breathless, taking her by the shoulders to turn her back around so he could look her in the eye. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she nodded.  
"All your friends and family would've noticed was a sense of peacefulness. But this would often be perceived as you watching over them, which is right of course." Jack smiled, happy that he'd been able to sooth their pain at least.

* * *

"I'm curious," he smirked turning his head to the side with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "What does the princess of shadows do exactly?"  
He let her go and they continued to walk. He was looking at her with great interest.  
"Well, shadows look after themselves for the most part. I check in and everything, but there is little I can do until their companion leaves the light forever. That is when they come to me and I reassign them. I can use them to travel, a skill I shared with my father freely until last eastern. And I can have them help me to transport people, but they usually get a bit… rebellious after I do."  
Jack laughed at her blush. "Peter?" he guessed, his eyes twinkling.  
"Peter," she confirmed. "I'll tell you more some other time. Maybe I could even show you?"  
 _Oh god!_ She thought. _Did I really just invite him over. What is with me today?_  
"Sounds fun." Jack looked like he was very pleased with the suggestion of spending more time with her, but then his expression fell. "I just don't think your dad is my biggest fan right now."  
Jane was very firm in her response. "After everything that happened this year, I was thinking of moving out actually. Now that I know that I'll have people to turn to, I'm certain."  
Jack's eyebrows raised with surprise. He hadn't expected that to happen quite that fast. But he was proud of her for taking this step.  
Jane blushed under his approving grin.  
A few moments of silence pass. Jane collects the courage to ask a question she'd been asking herself ever since she came into existence as Jane.  
"Jack. If I ask you a question, will you answer honestly?" Jack nodded without a second of doubt. He was certain that the question would relate to what had kept her from using the sleepsand, what had sent her downstairs in search for a hot beverage.  
"Do you think there is anything left of my father? Is there still some good in Pitch Black?"  
The young winter spirit thought about it for a bit. He remembered the look on Pitch's face when he'd rejected him. He thought about what Safia had said about both the fearligns and Kosmotis being part of Pitch's personality.  
"I believe that he sincerely misses your sister and that he cares about you. Family is perhaps the only thing he truly wants aside from power." Jane smiled, tears glistening in her eyes and without thought she threw her arms around Jack's neck for a hug.  
Jack, though surprised, returned the hug easily.  
"Thanks, I really needed to hear that. It makes the past few millennia worth it you know?" Jack nodded into her shoulder.

* * *

They walked back to the ballroom in comfortable silence. Once there Jack went to the bar and found that someone had prepared two cups of tea. Jack had expected as much but Jane was stunned.  
"How did these get here?" she asked as she sat down with him at the bar and carefully brought the cup to her lips. It was peppermint tea and the perfect temperature to drink.  
How could anyone know how she liked her tea?  
Jack shrugged as he sipped from his cup of chamomile. "I suspect Phil. He probably overheard that you felt like a cup. He's a Christmas creature after all. Giving people what they want is his job."  
Jane returned his smile and took a moment to take in the now empty ballroom. She wondered if she could get another dance. It was funny really. A few hours ago she struggled to imagine talking to other spirits. And now here she was. She had danced, walked and talked with her crush, whom reunited her with her sister and she'd pretty much gotten his best friend's blessing.  
"Wind!" she nearly knocked her tea over when she remembered the pure elemental spirit.  
Luckily Jack's reflexes were quick enough to steady her cup for her.  
"Woah! That was close. What about wind?" Jack asked as he reached over the bar for a piece of cloth to clean away the spilled tea.  
"I'll do it," Jane said softly, reaching for the cloth but Jack held his hand up.  
"It'd be my pleasure. So what about wind?"  
Jane looked around for a bit. "Well doesn't she mind being ignored like this? Before it was simply ignorance but we both knew she was there and we completely ignored her!" Jane felt worse the longer she thought about it. To her surprise Jack started laughing.  
"I'm sorry… It's really sweet of you… It's just very unnecessary to worry." Jack turned on his bar stool and turned Jane to face him as well.  
"Wind isn't always in the mood to partake in conversations. Not even when it was just the two of us. She has ways to indicate that she wants to be just the wind or feels like visiting the Root tree, or when she has stuff she needs to figure out on her own.  
In your case you can assume that if she wants to be part of the conversation she'll materialize.  
She wasn't even here, I mean really here. From what I could sense from her she wanted to give us as much privacy as possible on our walk." Jane smiled at that. That was really nice of Wind.  
They finished their tea's in silence as Jane contemplated her conversation with Wind and Jack contemplated his own upcoming journey to the root tree.  
He should've gone on the first day of winter but with everything else he just hadn't made it. Or perhaps he just hadn't been feeling like talking to Gale again before the Nox Lumen. He sighed as they arrived at Jane's door. Once back in the real world he'd have no choice.  
He turned to Jane, making sure to focus on the successes of tonight instead of the dreaded failure of the future. Who knew? Maybe this would be the year?  
That thought put a genuine smile on his face. This year had been crazy. So many things had happened that had always seemed impossible, what was one more?

* * *

"So, I guess I'll hear from you when you have settled in?" he asked, kissing Jane's hand in goodbye. "Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it,"  
Jane assured him perhaps a bit too eagerly.  
She couldn't find herself to care too much thought. Wind's words echoed trough her mind. Her actions wouldn't alter her father's plans. Her feelings wouldn't endanger anyone nor keep them safe.  
She shouldn't be afraid to hope for the future. Jack would need some time to process everything that had happened of course. She didn't mind to be patient for a few more weeks, months or even years.  
But she wouldn't just sit and wait like she'd been doing the past 3 centuries.  
She would show him what he meant to her. Let him discover how she felt. And let him get to know the real her. She would finally start living.  
As she pulled her hand back she locked eyes with him, before she registered what she was doing she had kissed him on the cheek. It was very brief and light but she swore she felt a spark ignite in her chest. And as far as she could tell there was nothing in the world that could douse the flame it had ignited.  
"Thanks again, for tonight," she breathed with a shy smile before turning around, entering her room and closing the door. Once inside she threw herself on the bed. Feeling slightly embarrassed but more than anything else she felt giddy. She giggled like a schoolgirl. For the first time ever, she felt fearless. Not much later she went to sleep, her smile still on her face.

* * *

Meanwhile Jack stood frozen, staring at the closed door and completely at a loss for words.  
He carefully touched his cheek trying to remember who'd kissed it before Jane had just now.  
His mother probably when he went to bed. His sister would do the same to thank him for something or to show that she was happy he hadn't gotten hurt doing something crazy to entertain the others. Claire had a few times, when he did something extra nice for his friends or when he'd been gone for a few days with his father or accompanying Alexandra to other noble families.  
This felt different thought.

* * *

"You'd make a fine statute." Jack nearly had a heart attack when he heard his friend's voice.  
"Safia!" he whisper yelled in order not to disturb Jane now she was getting to bed.  
He turned and saw the blond in blue dress he'd opened the dance with leaning against a pillar and smirking. "Sorry," she said not completely meaning it. It had been over two centuries since the last time she'd been able to catch him so of guard that he didn't feel her approach.  
Jack rolled his eyes, catching the humor in her voice.  
"Tonight was… Crazy. But good, I think," Jack summarized as he shoved his hands in his pockets and started to walk towards his room. He couldn't wait to get out of this formal attire.  
"It certainly was," Wind couldn't help the slight smirk that emerged as she went over the events from the salon in her head. Jack gave her a suspicious look.  
She shook her head. He didn't need to know what Sandy had told the other guardians exactly.  
The little man had gotten everything of his chest and the others had vowed to better their lives, which they had been doing already. No need for Jack to think about last eastern any more than he already had. "You had to be there." Was her only explanation. Luckily Jack took peace with that.  
"So how was your little chat with the princes?" she asked mischievously.  
Jack blushed slightly. "You had to be there," he countered with a dismissive shrug.  
Strangely enough, even though he knew there was no point in not telling Safia, he felt like most of that conversation was private and he wasn't feeling up to discussing it now. Later after he had some sleep and time to process all the other crazy stuff that happened tonight. After that he could think about going to Jane's new place to learn more about shadows.  
Safia caught Jack's hint and remained silent. It wasn't long before they reached their quarters. Jack's right next to Safia's.  
"Good night." Jack turned as he said this but found his friend frozen.  
"I just realized that this would be the first time I went to sleep. Ever," she said, her voice no more than a whisper as she stared trough the open doorframe to the bottle of sleepsand on the nightstand. There was nervousness in her voice, and even a little fear.  
Jack searched his memories to explain sleeping but then realized what it would sound like to her.  
"It's not the same as disappearing," he promised even though he couldn't possibly know any of that.  
"Yeah, Sandy is a good man. He wouldn't make me disappear. Would you mind staying with me? To make sure?" Jack was a little surprised by the question but didn't hesitate in his response.  
"Of course." The gratitude that followed wasn't spoken but felt.  
Jack sat on the side of Safia's bed while she sprinkled herself with some sleepsand.  
Soon she closed her eyes and surrendered to unconsciousness.  
That was Jack's cue to leave. And so moments later Jack was the last one in the whole building to journey to dreamland. Unaware of the things that were set in motion tonight.


	23. 22) Turning over a new leave

**Alright this was supposed to have more in it but it got long. Ten pages and I was only half way trough what I wanted to tell you all. So this'll have to do for now. I don't own the characters except mine. Enjoy!  
Warning: minions**

 **22) Turning over a new leaf.**

Jack knew he should get out of bed now, but he didn't want to.  
He'd had such a nice dream. He was back in the village playing with his sister and her friends. He walked with his friends to the lands of the Montagues and checked if her ladyship needed him that day. He ate dinner with his family and hugged his parents before going to bed where he found his sister awake and waiting for her bedtime story. There was a part of him that wanted to wake up in his old bed and find that the past three hundred years were just a dream. But then there was Wind and the guardians, Jane and the other spirits, the kids in Burges and all his other believers present and future. No matter how much he missed his old home, he had people here he'd miss as well.

* * *

He opened his eyes and immediately threw his arm over his face to cut off the light.  
"Alright I did not miss waking up," he groaned.  
He took a moment to mentally prepare himself. "Alright Frost, short pain," he muttered to himself in encouragement. "One, two, three!" He pushed himself up and opened his eyes wide. He couldn't help squinting against the light but he refused to give in and shut them again.  
He carefully wiped away a few specks of sand that had stayed behind in the corners of his eyes and immediately felt a bit more awake. He got out of bed and took a moment to find his balance back still a little drowsy.  
"Alright." He breathed as he threw on his normal clothes.  
He stretched one last time before making his way to the dining room where he found his fellow guardians and Wind gathered around for breakfast.

* * *

"Morning everyone," he yawned as he sat down and loaded a plate full of eggs and bacon.  
"Morning mate, but only because time doesn't pass here. Last guests have left hours ago!" Bunny informed him as he took a bite from a carrot. "That's not entirely true. He missed Mother nature and the shadow princes by only an hour," Saffia corrected the Pooka with a subtle glance towards Jack who gave her a 'don't you start' look and grabbed some grapes and filled a glass with orange juice.  
"They had a lot to discuss, they were right to take advantage of this opportunity to talk without a chance of their duties interrupting their conversations," Tooth stated with a fond smile as she thought back to their reunion. "That was a very sweet thing you did for them by the way Jack." She added smiling proudly at the young spirit. Jack once again felt a faint blush rise to his cheeks, but ignored it as he casually shrugged his shoulders. "She wasn't having any fun so I fixed it. No big deal."  
He underlined his statement with a last gulp from his orange juice.  
"So, let's see if the world has ended in an hour shall we?" He stated as he got up and walked to the exit. The guardians looked at each other quizzically. Was he still upset over the memories? Had they reopened wounds and undone the progress they'd made. North, Tooth and Bunny paled a little as they recalled the talking to they'd gotten for that. Wind had been so 'kind' as to give Sandy a voice by connecting with him in 'the old way' and verbalizing his words in a voice that was deep and frightening on it's own without a furious Sandy. They hoped they weren't due to another round of that any time soon. Wind saw their confusion and worry, and decided that after how they'd endured last night's scolding she could throw them a bone.  
"He just doesn't feel comfortable being praised by you guys. It's a modesty thing. You didn't do anything wrong," she assured them before she disappeared to join Jack.  
Confident that Wind wouldn't lie about something like this they followed both spirits to the exit, where they bid eachother goodbye and took off to the real world.

* * *

Jack felt giddy as he was back into the air flying around. Winter had only just started and he had a lot of mischief to get into before the groundhog announced spring. **  
**As he spirals trough the sky on the way to mainland he recalls the first time he'd been introduced to old man winter.  
 _He was at his lake, taking a break from spreading snow and fun, taking some time for himself_  
 _He played with Wind, wondering which picture he would make for the sad girl that visited there every day, when he noticed an old man standing next to the lake._  
 _He seemed to be looking at Jack, but that was impossible. No one saw him._  
 _So Jack assumed the man was just looking at the wind playing with the snow. Snow wasn't supposed to be around in this area anymore, Jack didn't know why but the sad girl seemed to find it odd that his snow hadn't left yet._  
 _He left the villages and the fields alone now. He understood that there were some sort of rules for the presence of snow. He didn't understand them really, the moon still refused to help out, but Wind had tried to explain that nature had it's cycles and that winter's part in that cycle had passed in this area for now. So he tried not to upset anyone with his presence. He needed some place to call his home thought, and no one seemed to mind if he hung around his lake. The sad girl even seemed to like that he stayed._

* * *

 _Jack looked at the old man and decided he might as well give him something to look at.  
"Hey wind, seems we have public, let's give him a show!" he shouted excitedly.  
Jack had found that while it still hurt that no one could see him, he could not stay sad.  
He could have a day of fun and allow himself to be a bit upset after the sun set but that was all. The rest of the day he brought winter fun as far as he dared to travel. His first month he hadn't gone too far._ _He didn't know what was out there and as exciting as the adventure seemed he first wanted to be sure he had full control of his powers. Who knows what would happen if he just travelled the world without knowing how to fly properly, defend himself, run across the rooftops, or how to make a little snowfall not end in a full out blizzard. Yeah, making weather was something he practiced far away from any village he knew about. After a month of practice he was ready. He was pretty sure he understood his powers and was ready to travel farther away from his lake. And so he was now busy discovering the world and all its wonders bit by bit.  
Now as for the show. He created a whirlwind of snowflakes and guided them in the wind so the man would see: playing children, a running dog, a flower, a horse… and many other of his best drawings.  
_

* * *

 _"Impressive my winter child, but would you mind joining me on the ground so we can meet properly?" The man asked. Jack stopped, completely in shock, and landed in front of the man.  
"You can see me?" he asked incredulous. The old man nodded._  
 _"That is amazing! I've been hanging around for… I don't know how long exactly… But I've seen the sun come up hundreds of times now... two hundred and seven I think"_ (you see Jack didn't have a real concept of time other than sunrise and sunset yet and he hadn't thought to bring it up to wind)  
 _"and no one has seen me before! Wind do you hear that?" He exclaimed delighted as he turned to his friend on the lake.  
_ Maybe now the girl can see me and I can finally ask her why she won't smile! _He thought hopefully.  
He was so excited! He had tried everything but the girl had yet to really smile. Sometimes she had a sad one and every time he thought he heard her giggle it quickly turned into sobs.  
He didn't like it when people were sad, kids especially. Children should have fun.  
A hand on his shoulder stopped his celebration. Jack looked at him incredulously. He hadn't been touched before. It was so strange… and honestly a little frightening.  
He suddenly realized he was ignoring this kind man. He turned around releasing himself from the man's hold on him and hurried to apologize.  
"Sorry, I'm being rude aren't I? I'm Jack Frost… I'm afraid that's all I can tell you about myself."  
He felt bad. He really didn't know more about himself, and he would've introduced wind, but he could feel that she didn't want to be seen or acknowledged by this man. The fact that Jack had talked to her in front of him was more than enough. The man smiled as if he found Jack's rant endearing.  
_

* * *

 _He shook his head and held up a hand to let the boy know he had to listen.  
"I can see you, young one, because I am like you. My name is old man winter, and I've been around a really long time. I guide the winter to where she should be. While you are the frost on the window, the snow fights and the sculptures. I am the cold, the blanket nature needs to rest and the falling snow. But don't forget young one that while you represent winters youth, beauty and happiness, you shall also face the end that winter brings to some things. Never forget that in nature, the end is simply the announcer of beginning. Do you understand?" Jack did.  
The man meant that Jack wasn't cured form whatever it was that caused him to be invisible, but that he had encountered someone who was as invisible as he was. And he had also told Jack his purpose. Sort of. But it was one of those things he wanted to know about and the moon wouldn't tell him.  
So he still considered it progress to have a vague description of what he was supposed to be._  
 _He also had been warned that he would inevitably see the sorrow of winter, but none of this could be helped as it was how nature worked. He nodded._  
 _He was a bit disappointed that he still couldn't talk to other humans, but relieved that he at least understood what was expected a little better and that he had been doing it right. But why had the old man waited so long to tell him this? Had he known that Jack would do what he had to do without being told?_

* * *

 _"Good, now you have a better understanding of your role, I want to invite you to the summer solstice tonight. The other season spirits and their season's children are looking forward to meet you. As is mother nature." Jack didn't know what old man winter was talking about exactly. He wasn't sure what he had to expect from these other spirits. All he knew was that there appeared to be other seasons, and spirits to go along with them. As up until now he had only known snow and ice. Though he wasn't completely ignorant of other forces of nature existing. He had seen the other seasons. The village near his birthplace had been changing. Snow had melted and the trees had been filled with flowers. He had seen the kids hunt for eggs and had helped the sad girl find the nicest… he had felt someone staring at him then but when he turned around he had only seen a flower. And then the flowers in the trees had fallen and green leaves had appeared.  
And Wind had told him once about the true spirits of nature and their human spirit counterparts.  
He had also felt when he had to move and where he should go, he had thought it to be an instinct, but maybe it had been orders from this 'mother nature'._  
 _It had felt a bit counterintuitive to stay here, but he'd felt safer here than anywhere else. And as long as he didn't freeze the fields or the village the people didn't make a fuss about the lake, who cared about the lake? Only one little sad girl.  
Sometimes her parents would pick her up if she stayed until after the sun set, coloring the sky an amazing red. Those days they did not leave before they cried together first. He didn't know why.  
He shook of the thoughts. Every time he thought of the girl or her family he felt his thoughts linger. But he should focus on the here and now.  
_

* * *

 _Something that the old man said puzzled him. "A party? And they want to meet me?"  
Someone wanted to see him? Someone cared? Oh, he had seen family and care often enough.  
It was all he wanted. What he wished for when the stars came out, what he saw when he touched the golden sand, thought he didn't know where it came from. (_He of course didn't know that the dream sand was as magical as his ice. How could he? As far as he knew it had always been there.)  
 _A mother to scold him when he made someone slip on the ice, a father who would pretend to be just as mad at him but secretly giving him a pat on the back when she wasn't looking. A sibling to care for, to laugh and smile with. Oh, if only.  
He would be happily invisible to the rest of the world for however many days he lived.  
As long as there was even one person who said 'Hey Jack! How was your day?' when he came home.  
It hurt to think about. And when Jack Frost felt bad, for any reason, one of two things could happen. Either he went to a cold place far south, wind said it was the south pole –original names must've been used up- and there he stayed until he had cooled down_ (no pun intended _). If he didn't do that, he became a little naughty. And that's what he did this time.  
_

* * *

 _"Well, thanks for the invite." He smirked playfully.  
"But, I'm not sure if I feel like going. I've got business to attend…" Suddenly he felt a bit angry at those other spirits. If they cared so much why wait two hundred and seven sunrises? Why not meet earlier? He could understand the seasons a bit. But still, he guessed that at least one had passed through the area and left again, and the second one had arrived a while ago. If they wanted to meet him so bad, why not stop by earlier? And old man winter? He had always been where Jack was. Why did he wait until now to show himself? Why stand aside as he cried? When he literally begged for help? Jack jumped back and settled on a tree branch.  
"And I'm not so sure if you all really want to meet me. You never tried to do so before. You especially. I don't think I possibly could've given you the impression I preferred alone time?"  
His tone was accusing now. He was pretty sure there were some rules about respect towards elder, but in his mind respect was a two way thing.  
"Ah,… You are right to doubt my intentions. I have indeed left you on your own for six months," Jack briefly wondered about that word. He would have to ask Wind about it later. She would tell him.  
"But I did so, because… I really believed that it would be better for you to learn to trust on your own strength and powers first. Your abilities turned out far stronger than I expected. I believe it is because of your strong heart and the enormous amount of positive energy you have inside. I would've intervened sooner, don't think it was easy to hear my winter child cry out in pain and ignore it. But if you didn't learn how to deal with pain and loss now, when would you? It's a harsh way to learn all alone, but it was necessary." Jack thought about it. It was indeed a cruel way to learn but also quick. He had learned so fast because he had to. If he had thought that there was an old man winter who had his back in dangerous situations, he might have been less eager to learn to master his powers and self-defense. Would he have tried to pick something up from fighting styles from anywhere he came if he had known he had backup? Maybe not.  
He didn't know if he would call himself powerful, but he knew he was able to hold himself in a fight with or without his powers.  
Jacks fingers curled around his staff, he still didn't like that he had been alone this long…  
_

* * *

 _Or, well not entirely alone, he had Wind… But did that mean?  
"Did you send her?" He asked. He had to know. He would trust wind with his life, but what if she only hung out with him because she had to?  
"Who?" Old man winter asked. He looked genuine in is confusion.  
"Wind, did you send her? Or this mother nature?" Jack asked. Meanwhile he send Wind a feeling of trust and friendship to tell her that he wasn't accusing her of any wrongdoings_.  
 _"Wind? No one sends the wind. She may play with you sometimes young one but the wind, especially the southern wind, who is with you at this time, is not to be commanded. Anyone who tried in the past has learned that with a swim in the Atlantic ocean." Jack didn't like how old man winter spoke of his best friend and her siblings. As if she were an inferior being. And as if she used him as a toy, and that he was too naive to understand that.  
"Listen, sir. I don't care how old you are and whatever power you have, but no one talks about Wind like that. She's the only one who has cared for me and tried to comfort me when I felt like burying myself under my own snow. She has my back and I have hers.  
She is not a mere animal that refuses to be trained. She is a living, thinking being with feelings. If she didn't let you travel with her then that might mean that you weren't nice to her. From the day I was born in this lake, I have been talking to her with an open heart and mind, and maybe if you get of your damn high horse and do that, then maybe she or one of the others will be willing to help you out and show you the world as they see it.  
If you think she's unworthy of your time or kindness then she'll think that way about you!" It was a long rant. He was amazed at himself. But this was for wind, and he owed her his life.  
Wind sent him a feeling that told him how happy she was that he thought of her that way.  
"Hm" old man winter was strangely enough not insulted. "You are remarkable young winter child. You may be right. Perhaps I have been here so long that I have forgotten what it is to be humble. But I still stand by it that Southern wind usually doesn't like to play for taxi… but that might be the reason why she would for you. You say she is a friend to you? Well then I suppose that she indeed does not let you ride her, but rather travel along with her." The man seemed to have stopped talking to Jack, and went off in a world of his own.  
_

* * *

Jack chuckled to himself as he recalled bringing the man back to the present by dumping a pile of snow on him from his branch and taking off into the sky. Wind had dropped him on a spot where they could travel to the party since she'd understood that Jack's curiosity had won over his suspicions. And he was glad for that. Otherwise who knows what would've become of him.  
He landed at the coast of Japan near Rausu the village that shared it's name with the mountain he was facing. He glanced at his shadow. Part of him wanted to see if Pitch had a liar entrance here but he stopped himself. He'd promised Saffia that he wouldn't do something so stupid again, so unless he had no other choice he wouldn't. Besides Pitch wasn't nearly as strong as he was last year and Jane would not allow him to use her shadows ever again. Jane would be more than capable to look after herself, he didn't even know why he'd been worried. But just in case that strange feeling in his gut was on to something… He took a deep breath feeling a bit weird about his plan.  
"Ah, excuse me, shadow? I know you don't usually take orders from anyone but Jane but could you please let me know if she is in need of my help? To his relief he his shadow nod. Comforted by the fact that he would know if anything went wrong he noted the sky. It was getting late here and kids would be getting to bed. He could start a soft snowfall here then they'd have a nice thick layer to look forward to when they woke up. But kids in Europe would be waking up now. He grinned to himself and as he send clouds off to all parts of assia to start on tomorrow's fun he raced off to France. A nice morning snowfall sounded like a great idea. Plus he had a good idea for some frost decorating the Parisians would love. Perhaps some fun in Gent at noon, cause some fuss in Hamburg to round things up and why not stop by up north and say hi to Lumos? He hadn't really had the chance to talk with him at the party. Which was a shame really. Lumos, the spirit of light was the type that seemed to have only two moods: teasing or philosophizing.  
Jack found it great fun to talk with him about other spirits or to listen to him rant about their place in the universe. And watching the northern lights together was not a bad way to spend your time for sure. Jacks favorite topic to joke about with him was Mother Nature thought.

* * *

The maternal spirit could be a bit too much for most nature spirits at times but for free-spirited types like Jack and Lumos she was smothering for about 98% of the time they spend with them.  
Jacks thoughts wandered to the first time he'd had the pleasure to meet his self-appointed new mother figure.  
 _After he'd taken of Old man winter finally found the winter child, smirking in a tree.  
"Seems the wind that took you here doesn't like being used as a horse. Wind and I have been here for ages." Old man winter couldn't help but chuckle at the young spirits teasing.  
With anyone else he would've felt insulted. But this boy, he was too kind, polite and innocent.  
His eyes shone with trust and wonder. A perfect child of winter. If only he could stay so untainted.  
When he had first seen the boy rise from his lake he had been shining like a newborn soul.  
Now he could already see the marks that loneliness left on him. He silently thanked the moon that his Child of Winter had been given one friend to rely on. Without the Wind, the boy might not have made it this far. But he did have her and his character had survived the past six months outstandingly.  
Jack Frost was still as loyal, brave and caring as he had been as Jackson Overland.  
_'I hope you have thought this trough. It wasn't and will not be easy to let him find his own way.  
Or to convince mother nature he should learn to trust his own strength once she meets him,' _He thought to his friend. No, Jack wasn't a boy you could easily ignore once you got to know him a little. And mother nature was protective/possessive of those she considered her 'children'.  
_

* * *

 _"You may be right… Now, will you come with me? It is only during the solicits and the nox-lumen that you will get the chance to meet other season spirits. Anny other time at nearly any other place can cause huge disasters. And don't worry, it shall be as if you haven't left this spot for one moment. Where we go exists outside of space and time." Old man Winter briefly looked at the spot where Wind's center was. This was enough for Jack to understand that Wind wouldn't be able to come with him. This made him want to turn the invitation down again. He believed Old man Winter when he said that Wind would hardly notice his absence, but he wasn't sure if he could handle being apart from her.  
Wind sensed where his thoughts were headed and stopped him, letting him know that she believed that he would be alright. He needed to go, to meet others like him. She would be waiting right here anticipating his return.  
"Alright." Jack felt nervous. What if they were mad that he wouldn't leave his lake alone?  
Old man Winter pretended that he didn't notice, knowing that nothing he'd say could help.  
"Splendid," Old man Winter stretched his arm, pointing his staff to a couple of rocks.  
"I, Old Man Winter, King of the season of slumber, demand to be granted access to the solicit so me and Jack Frost, prince of winter, bringer of warmth and light in darkness and cold may meet with our fellow seasons and may greet mother nature." The end of old man winters staff was glowing and a portal opened. Jack took a few steps back not sure if he wanted to go in but then it engulfed the both of them and he knew he had no choice.  
_

* * *

 _Next thing he knew he stood in a big hall with a bunch of strange looking people.  
There were 4 adults other than old man winter and the three season's children, all teenagers or young adults. The spirits in the room looked at Jack and old man winter a moment and then all smiled.  
This made Jack feel a bit better. At least they seemed willing to meet him. He was still holding onto his staff for dear life, keeping it close to his chest. Maybe that was why they tried extra hard not to look intimidating. A woman approached them. She had raven black hair and a grace and beauty that could be both comforting and frightening depending on her mood, but right now, Jack just didn't know how to feel about all this. Her dress was assembled of flowers, and leaves green as well as red and yellow. Jack assumed that it was supposed to represent the seasons, but he didn't see winter. Her hair was adorned with a crown of leaves and flowers. But no snow or frost.  
She approached him and old man winter.  
"Ah, my old friend, you took your time." She said in a voice that reminded him of how Wind felt when she was soft and comforting. "I am sorry to have made you waiting. He has a mind of his own this young one." Old man winter chuckled. At this the woman turned to Jack who took a step back. He wanted to hide somewhere. He didn't belong here. Everyone here was dressed for the occasion and he was still in his old clothes, not that he wished for something more fancy, he liked his clothes, but he knew he didn't fit in this crowd. Old man winter called him a prince earlier, but he was no royalty.  
"Ah, my little winter Prince. I am so glad to finally see you." What was it with these people and talking about him as if he belonged to them. First he was Old man Winter's 'winter child', and now this woman's 'winter prince'? No one owned him. He frowned a bit. He really wanted to leave.  
But he understood that this lady was Mother Nature. He should be respectful. She hadn't meant the term to express ownership, only endearment. He bowed to her and took her hand to kiss it, like he had seen gentleman in the island Wind had called England do.  
"Pleasure is all mine ma'am," He said before softly bringing his lips to her wrist. He decided he should not give these people the impression that he was a frightened little boy, even if he was.  
So when he stood again he straightened his posture, straight back, square shoulders chin up, one arm behind his back while the other held his staff by his side rather than in front of his chest.  
_

* * *

 _He looked mother nature in the eyes. Suddenly he realized that in her crown two big snowflakes had appeared from which a veil made of his frost came now covering her hair, it was beautiful but he hadn't meant for that to happen.  
A moment long he feared that someone would scold him for interfering with her hairdo but mother nature just kept smiling and in the background he heard whispers of approval.  
"Christoph, he is a true treasure. I am so glad he has finally joined us." She turned to old man winter and they gave each other a kiss on the cheek. Jack watched with awe as a belt of snowdrops formed around her waist, a few seconds later followed long ribbons of snowflakes making their way down her skirt and up to her shoulders. He now understood that mother nature's dress probably started out as something simple but with every season spirit that arrived something was added to it making it to the masterpiece it was now. It was the perfect embodiment of the beauty of all seasons.  
"Please, the other monarchs wish to catch up with you." She told her friend while glancing at Jack. She was trying to be subtle but it was clear to everyone who heard that she wanted some time with the new seasonal spirit. Old man Winter was not sure if he should leave Jack alone with her. But then again, Jack wasn't someone who you could push around. He decided that this was perhaps the best test of character he could have offered the young boy. He gave him a soft pat on his shoulder for support and then left the two alone.  
Mother nature laid her hands on Jacks shoulders and had a good look at him. Jack suppressed the urge to break loose and run away. _Show strength, not fear. _He thought to himself.  
"Only sixteen…" she muttered a bit sadly. "But so full of strength and life…" She smiled at this.  
"Well Jack, why don't we get to know each other a bit?" Jack believed that she meant him no harm, but he still felt uncomfortable. He nodded "If you wish so ma'am"  
Mother nature frowned a bit at his formal behavior but was willing to let it slide, after all the boy was talking to a perfect stranger. It wasn't so weird that he kept some distance, for now.  
_

* * *

 _She led him to a bench and they sat down.  
"Can I offer you something to drink? As you already know we don't have to eat or drink, but what is a party without some snacks and delicious beverages?" she smiled at Jack as she had a tray appear in front of them. Jack picked up the cup hot chocolate before even thinking about it. He had wanted to try it ever since he smelled the delicious scent for the first time.  
He carefully took a sip, it was even more delicious than it smelled. He understood why kids loved it so much on cold winter evenings. Too bad it was so expensive, this was something one should be able to drink after every snow fight. Maybe one day.  
"So Jack, what do you know about me?" Mother nature asked. Jack felt a bit embarrassed to admit that he hadn't even heard of her until about an hour ago.  
"Ehm, Not much." He said apologetic, trying not to look like a little boy on his first school day.  
"Oh, that's no problem son." Jack subconsciously repositioned himself a bit farther away from her when she called him that. He wanted a mother… but he didn't want her to just claim that position.  
Mother Nature was a bit frustrated, blaming moon for this situation. How could it be better for Jack to live without memories than with them? Sure it wouldn't be easy either but he was so hard to reach now. How could she protect him if he didn't let her near? She recollected herself and accepted that Jack wouldn't allow her that close. For now.  
_

* * *

 _"Sorry, I tend to get ahead of myself. Let me tell you about my history. My father guarded the fearlings. Vile horrible creatures that feast on other peoples' fear and doubts.  
They tricked him into opening their cage and… well what came out looked like my father but it wasn't him at all. When I saw him again I was so torn. Part of me saw only the evil that had stolen my father's identity and used it to kill my mother. Another part only saw my father whom I loved and wouldn't give up on that sliver of hope that he might still be in there somehow.  
And then I split up. Emily-Jane became Emily, me, an adult woman that did not need her father anymore. And Jane, a teenage girl that wouldn't give up on him. One could say that we were sisters, and I loved her like one. For she was part of me and I was part of her. I managed to keep her away from Pitch Black, the mockery of my father's memory, for a couple of years. But then he found us and Jane did what I always knew she would do. She went with him for she felt that our father was still in there and needed her. That was around the time when humans learned to build villages."  
Jack nodded, he had heard about that bit. "When the nature spirits started to fade right?" Mother Nature was shocked. No one aside from the ancient ones knew about that.  
_

* * *

 _"Wind told me a bit about that. Because the nature spirits were fading they got human spirits to guard over them, to guide them. She told me that I guard frost and flake, two close friends of hers, she thinks that if they had been given a choice they would've picked me. Who do you guard?" Jack had been so happy that this was something he did know about, that it was possible this was the only thing he had more knowledge of than even Mother Nature- he had only told her what he was certain she did know- he had started rambling like a seven year old. He hadn't noticed Mother Natures reaction to this until he looked at her waiting for the answer on his question. She was a bit nervous. One of the Winds had talked to Jack? Told him about the truth of his powers? How much? Was this the real reason why Jack had been so reserved? She took in how his excitement turned to curiosity and a bit concern. She smiled relieved that he didn't seem to think badly of her because of the way she had handled the situation back then.  
"Yes, that's when it happened… I don't guide a single spirit, I am given the task to watch over all the human spirits -as you call them- that are assigned to nature. This implies you the other seasons children whom you see over there, along with the monarchs and a lot of other spirits you surely will meet in the future. Someone has to, in order to prevent total chaos like say snowstorms in the Sahara." Jack made a face at that. He had never seen it, but he didn't want to. One time he had gotten in the general direction of it and he had almost gotten ill from the heat.  
"I guess that I won't need to remind you to stay away from certain areas of the world. May I ask you which of the Winds has decided to contact you?" Jack nodded. "South, she said she has three siblings of sorts but I haven't met them yet. She says I have to grow a bit more before she introduces me to them. I'm starting to think she knowingly kept me away from other spirits until now. She's a bit protective you know. She has been less careful about where we travel recently. I think that now I have a reasonable handle on my powers, self-defense and flying she kind of trusts that I can look after myself if needed." As Jack said this, Mother nature felt a great sense of relieve. Someone kept an eye on him and kept him out of trouble. The southern wind would do a magnificent job. She knew from experience that this wind was a force not to cross.  
She still wanted Jack to accept her, but knowing that the Southern Wind was with him made her feel like it wasn't as urgent. She smiled. "I think it's time you meet some more spirits then. Have fun tonight Jack, You've earned it." And with that she stood and joined the adults.  
_

* * *

Jack skated over the now lightly frozen waters in the channels of Amsterdam. He considered the possibilities of organizing the weather so they could have their local twelve cities hike on the frozen channels connecting their cities as the memory of Mother nature's retreating form played through his mind. He supposed she meant well. She always did, she just didn't have much patience with it.  
He probably should give her a fair chance to talk to him during the next solstice.  
He noticed a small rush go trough the trees nearby and sighed. He'd promised himself he'd visit the Root tree today and try to get Gale to do something other than sitting there all day every day. He smirked as he considered the idea of Mother Nature being to preoccupied with Gale to even notice anyone else there at the next solstice… But perhaps that would be a bit mean. If he let that happen Gale might try to become part of the tree in order to avoid interacting with others ever again.  
No if he succeeded he would have to make sure his first steps into the real world were pleasant. And he would find a way to do it. He'd made a promise after all.  
 _Nearing the end of his first party Joshin pulled Jack aside.  
"I need a favor," he said in a very soft voice. It was the first time Jack had heard him speak all evening. So it came as quite a shock, but he tried not to show it.  
"Eh, yeah sure. Ask me anything and I'll try to do it." Joshin nodded, looking very troubled by what he was about to ask. "When you leave here, find the Root tree before your season ends and release my brother," Joshin pleaded. "Eh, I'll try my best?" Jack agreed feeling like he should know what the young man meant but at a complete loss.  
_

* * *

 _"Joshin? Jack? What are you two whispering…" Flora looked between the both of them and then realization struck. "Oh, no Joshi! You are not talking him into talking to Gale are you?"  
"Why shouldn't he?" Jack asked not sure how to feel about the situation.  
"It's a long story. Gale was originally meant to do Joshin's stuff. And everything went fine until at one point he was introduced to the Root tree. Long story short the mother of all trees. Usually the grownups pay it a visit every now and then to give the trees a heads up for when their season is about to start. We travel past it every now and then to check if we're needed anywhere or something. But when Gale heard what she was, he was shocked. Such a precious tree should be protected at all times should it not? And making sure that the season spread correctly should be done with more care… Bottom-line he sat himself on the tree and never left. Most we see him do is sleeping. Which isn't really surprising considering how boring sitting there all day waiting for danger to arrive or for fall to start must be. Don't get me wrong he had a few good points but it could've been done better than to sentencing a spirit to an eternity of sitting between the roots of a tree. But no one has been able to get him to move an inch. So Joshin was chosen to become the prince of autumn instead of the role they had planned for him before. Technically there are two fall princes and any fall related spirit will treat Gale with the same respect they treat Joshin. So Mr. nice here considers Gale his brother and just wants him to stop working for a few minutes and have fun." Jack nodded in understanding.  
"Well, I think I could give it a shot. No harm in trying." Flora smiled at him as if she pitied his naivety.  
"Sanuye! Come here!" the native American girl joined the group of spirits.  
"Jack here wants to try to invite Gale to the winter solstice." This cleared of the confusion Sanuye had and replaced it with a sad understanding. Sanuye turned to Jack.  
"I tried once too. I had only just managed to wake him up and introduce myself when the wind rustled the leaves of the forest and he froze up. You would've though he'd seen the boogieman or something." Jack frowned. He'd heard children talk about the boogieman.  
"You mean he's real?" The other spirits looked at him surprised for a few moments until Flora seemed to catch on. "Oh, sorry. We forgot for a moment that that isn't common knowledge amongst new spirits. Most of the things children believe in are real. The boogieman, Santa Clause, Tooth fairy, Sandman, Eastern bunny and more." Jack recalled the presence he'd felt during the egghunt and when he mentioned this Flora nodded. "That would've been bunny. He seems like a grump but he's really a big softy. Probably thought it was the cutest thing when you helped that girl have a nice time," she told him. Jack nodded and then turned back to Joshin determinedly.  
"I'll try and help your brother. And I'll keep trying until I succeed." If there was one thing Jack could get behind it was helping someone, especially family, have fun._

* * *

Jack smiled softly to himself as he made his way through the Swedish woods. He arrived at the stump he intended to use to travel to the center. It didn't matter that he'd failed several hundred times. One day he would succeed, he felt like he made a little more progress every time.  
He took a breath as he braced himself for the journey.  
No matter what, one day he'd get Gale to turn over a new leave.


End file.
